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BY THE SAME AUTHOR 

THE EPIC OF PAUL 

fl SEQUEL TO "THE EPIC OF SfiUL " 



'T*HE action of The Epic of Paul begins with that con- 
-*• spiracy formed at Jerusalem against the life of the apostle, 
which in the sequel led to a prolonged suspension of his free 
missionary career. It embraces the incidents of his removal 
from Jerusalem to Ceesarea, of his imprisonment at the latter 
place, of his journey to Rome for trial before Caesar, and of 
his final martyrdom. The design of the poem as a whole is to 
present through conduct on Paul's part and through speech 
from him, a living portrait of the man that he was, together 
with a reflex of his most central and most characteristic teach- 
ing. Its descriptions are vivid, and it brings the reader's mind 
into close touch with the 'great spirit of Paul. It is a poem in 
which dignity, beauty, and power are commingled with a rare 
charm. 

" Paul, the new man, retrieved from perished Saul, 

Unequaled good and fair, from such unfair, 

Such evil, orient miracle unguessed !— 

Both what himself he was and what he taught — 

This marvel in meet words to fashion forth 

And make it live an image to the mind 

Forever, blooming in celestial youth."— i<Vom the Proem. 



AN APPRECIATIVE CRITICISM. 
" Noble as was Dr. Wilkinson's ' Epic of Saul,' his ' Epic of Paul ' is 
even nobler. The kingliness of its range ; the majesty of its principal 
figure ; the fascination of its subordinate figures ; the subtlety of its 
characterizations ; the pathos of its interviews ; the intricate consistency 
of its plot ; the conscientiousness of its exegesis and allusions ; the 
splendor of its imaginations ; the nobility of its ethics ; the stateliness of 
its rythm ; the grandeur of its evolution— these are some of the charac- 
teristics which make ' The Epic of Paul ' another necessary volume in 
the library of every clergyman, philosopher, and litterateur." 

— Kev. George Dana Boardman, D.D. 



8i;o, Clothy Gilt top, 722 pp. Price, $2.00, post-free. 

Both booJcs together, $3.00. 

FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY, Publishers, New York 



The Epic of Saul 



BY 



/ 



WILLIAM CLEAVER WILKINSON 



Author of "The Epic of Paul" 



FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY 

New York and London 
1898 




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Copyright, 1891, 

By funk & WAGNALLS; 

1898, 

By funk & WAGNALLS COMPANY. 

[Registered at Stationers* Hall, London, Eng.] 

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Book I. Saul and Gamaliel, .... 5 

Book II. Saul and the Sanhedrim, ... 37 

Book III. Saul against Stephen, .... 59 

Book IV. Stephen against Saul, ... 87 

Book V. Saul and Shimei, . . . • 113 

Book VI. Saul and Rachel, .... 139 

Book VII. Stephen and Ruth, .... 159 

Book VIII. Stephen Martyr, .... 183 

Book IX. Ruth and Rachel, 209 

Book X. Saul at Bethany, 235 

Book XI. Saul and Hirani, . . . . . 265 

Book XII. Saul and the Apostles, . . . 299 

Book XIII. Saul and Sergius, 317 

Book XIV. For Damascus, 347 

Book XV. Saul and Jesus, . . . . .371 



THE EPIC OF SAUL. 



Saul of Tarsus, brought up at Jerusalem a pupil of 
Gamaliel, the most celebrated Rabbi of his time, from setting 
out as eager but pacific controversialist in public dispute 
against the preachers of the Gospel, changes into a virulent, 
bloody persecutor of Christians, and ends by abruptly becom- 
ing himself a Christian and a teacher of Christianity. The 
Epic of Saul tells the story of this. 



PROEM. 



Saul saw the prophet face of Stephen shine 
As it had been an angel's, but his heart 
To the august theophany was bHnd — 
Blinded by hatred of the fervent saint, 
And hatred of the Lord who in him shone. 
What blindfold hatred such could work of ill 
In nature meant for utter nobleness, 
Then, how the hatred could to love be turned, 
The proud wrong will to lowly right be brought. 
And Paul the " servant " spring from rebel Saul - 
This, ye who love in man the good and fair. 
And joy to hail retrieved the good and fair 
From the unfair and evil, hearken all 
And speed me with your wishes, while I sing. 



BOOK I. 
SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 



Saul visits Gamaliel to submit a forming purpose conceived 
by him of entering into public dispute with the Christian 
preachers. Gamaliel disapproves ; informing Saul that the 
Jewish rulers are about to apply against those preachers the 
penalties of the law. These -men accordingly arrested and 
arraigned, the Sanhedrim hold a council on their case, at 
which Caiaphas advises accusing them to the Romans as sedi- 
tious ; Mattathias urges stoning them out of hand ; Shimei 
recommends pursuing against them a policy of guile. 



THE EPIC OF SAUL. 



SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 

Gamaliel sat at evening on his roof 
And deeply mused the meaning of the law. 
The holy city round about him lay 
Magnificent, encircled with her hills. 
Beyond the torrent Kedron, sunken deep 
Within his winding valley, Olivet 
Leaned long his shaded ridge against the east, 
Distinct in every oHve to the sun. 
Nearer, amid the city, chief to see, 
The glory of the temple of the Lord 1 
The seat was noble for a noble pile : 
The summit of Moriah, levelled large, 
Spread larger yet, outbuilt on masonry 
Cyclopean, or more huge, pillar and arch 
Fast-founded like the basis of a world. 
A world of architecture rested there — 



8 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book I. 

Temple, and court, and long-drawn colonnade 

On terrace above terrace ranged around, 

Cloister, and porch, and pendent gallery, 

Height, depth, length, space, and splendor, without end, 

Glittering its stones of lustre purest white. 

And stately portals rich with gems and gold : 

The setting sun now smote it that it blazed. 

The sight was torment to Gamaliel's pride. 

Torment with pleasure mixed, but torment more, 

As there he sat upon his roof alone. 

Tall, and erect in port, unbent his form 
With all that weight of venerable years, 
His head with almond-blossom glory-crowned, 
And bosom overstreamed with silver beard, 
Gamaliel stood before his countrymen 
Their stay, their solace, and their ornament, 
One upright pillar in a fallen state. 
Fallen, for Rome had pushed her foaming wave 
Of conquest far into the East, and laid 
Judaea under deluge, quiet now. 
But deep, of domination absolute — 
A weight as of the sea upon her breast. 
Jerusalem was glorious to behold. 



Book I. SA UL AND GAMALIEL. < 

Girdled with guardian mountains round about, 

And sunlit with her temple in the midst. 

Alas, but more her glory, more her shame ! 

For all her glory was the Roman's now, 

The queen a vassal at a tyrant's feet. 

She Caesar serving who should serve but God. 

And, w^orse disgrace than heathen servitude, 

There recreant Jews were found, and more and more. 

Who their hearts sold to their captivity, 

And abjectly gave up the ancient hope 

And promise, dawning-star of prophecy, 

That yet to captive Israel should arise 

Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords, 

To break the yoke from off His people's neck 

And gift them with the empire of the earth — 

This crown of Israel's hope gave up, to choose, 

Instead, for captain and deliverer, one 

Base-born, from Galilee, consorting friend 

With publicans and sinners, hung at last 

Convicted malefactor on the cross ! 

Such thoughts and tortures exercised the mind 
Of grave Gamaliel on his roof that eve. 
He felt the burden of his name and fame 



lO THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book I. 

Weigh heavy, his renown of sanctity, 

With wisdom, rife so wide, and holy zeal. 

His head decHned upon his bosom, there 

Amid the evening cool unheeded, he, 

Gray reverend teacher of the law, sat mute, 

Rapt over the writ parchment on his knees. 

And read, or thought, or thought and read, and 

prayed. 
The veil was on the old man's heart ; he saw 
Unseeing, for the sense from him was sealed. 

In words like these his prayer and plaint he poured : 
" Hath God forgotten to be gracious ? Will 
Jehovah cast us off forevermore? 
We groan, O Lord, Thy people groan, beneath 
The yoke of the oppressor. It is time, 
Lo, bow Thy heavens and come avenging down ! 
Appear Thou for Thy people ! Visit us ! 
Not only the uncircumcised are come, 
And heathen, into Thine inheritance, 
But of Thy chosen seed are risen up 
False children unto Abraham, to vex 
Our nation's peace and shame us to our foes. 
The son of Joseph suffered his desert, 



Book I. SA UL AND GAMALIEL. 1 1 

Accursed, on the tree, pretender vile, 

Who out of Nazareth came forth to claim 

Messiahship, the gift of David's line, 

And trailed a glorious banner in the dust. 

The banner of the hope of Israel. 

That day, too long expected, yet shall dawn 

And true Messiah, girded on His thigh 

His sword athirst for alien blood, shall ride 

Conquering and to conquer over all 

The necks of these His enemies and ours. 

How long. Lord God of Sabaoth, how long ? 

For now that hated false Messiah's name 

Is preached, the dead for re-arisen to life, 

The crucified for glorified, to men. 

And IcHABOD is written everywhere 

On all that was the boast of Israel. 

O Thou that overthrewest the harrying horde 

Of Pharaoh whelmed beneath the entombing sea, 

Rise, overwhelm Thine enemies, restore 

The glory and the kingdom to Thine own ! " 

Gamaliel prayed, and knew not that his prayer 
Found voice and smote at least an earthly ear. 
"Amen !" Gamaliel started as he heard 



1 2 THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book I. 

The voice of Saul responding fervently. 
Saul had been pupil to Gamaliel, 
Loyal and loving, and he now was friend 
Familiar, whom, as guest, unbidden oft 
And unannounced, that famous Pharisee 
Welcomed to share his most seclusive hours. 
" My son ! " " Rabboni ! " mutually they said. 

The younger to the elder now had come, 
A thought to purpose quickening in his breast 
He too was Hebrew patriot, and he yearned 
With anguish like his master's, yet at once 
Sharper than his, and more accessible 
To hope, as well his livelier youth became 
And native blood more nimble in his veins — - 
Saul also, with Gamaliel, yearned and burned. 
Beholding prone his country in the dust, 
Under the grinding heel of Roman power — 
And Messianic glory turned to shame ! 
Saul's first wish was to bring his brethren back 
Stung to their pristine, proud, prophetic hope 
Of a Messiah born to regal robes, 
Swaying a sceptre, seated on a throne, 
Crowned with a crown of myriad diadems, 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 13 

Symbol of lordship that should myriad tribes 

Mass in one mighty empire of mankind. 

He felt the soul of eloquence astir 

Within him, and he longed to be at war, 

In words that flamed like lightning and that smote 

Like thunder-stones, against those grovelling men 

Who Israel taught to grovel at the feet 

Of Galilaean Jesus crucified, 

Accepted for the Christ, forsooth, of God ! 

Such wish, becoming purpose, Saul has brought 

This evening to Gamaliel, with high hope, 

Hope high, but vain, to disappointment doomed, 

Of grateful gratulant words to hearten him, 

Approving and applauding his desire, 

Won from the wisest in Jerusalem. 

Thus minded, Saul, blithe, eager, sanguine, bold, 
With yet a grace of filial in his mien, 
As toward a master had in love and fear, 
Said : 

" Teacher, what I came to learn from thee, 
Already, having marked thy prayer, I know. 
God hear thee out of Zion in thy prayer ! 
God bring to naught the counsels of His foes ! 



1 4 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book I. 

Now know I, and rejoice to know, that thou, 

My teacher in the blessed law, wilt say, 

' God speed thee, son,' in what I seek to do. 

For, lo, I seek to serve the suffering cause 

Of truth wounded and bleeding in the street. 

Love of my country burns me as with flame 

Imprisoned and living in my very bones — 

My country, and my countrymen. This land 

To me is lovely like a bride beloved — 

Beloved the more, unutterably wronged ! 

Her trodden dust is dear to me. Not I, 

As do my brethren on her bosom born, 

Equably love her with composed and calm 

Affection sweet. That homesick longing bred 

With boyhood in Cilicia haunts me yet. 

To heighten love with anguish, and more dear 

Make the dear soil of this my fatherland. 

A passion, not a fondness, is my love ; 

And for my countrymen to die, were sweet — 

Such blind abandonment of love usurps 

My being for my kinsmen in the flesh. 

Would God I might in very deed pour out 

This blood, no vain oblation, to redeem 

My bondmen brethren and to purge this land !" 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 1 5 

In speech no farther — though in passionate tears 
The strong man vented still his else choked heart. 
Gamaliel, with wise senior sympathy, 
Sat silent, waiting till that burst were past. 
Then gravely : 

" Yea, my son, I know thy zeal, 
And praise it. Such as thou, in number more, 
Might somewhat ; such as thou, alas, are few." 

His master's praise Saul took as check and chill, 
Uttered with that insinuated sense 
Of sage discountenance to his youthful zeal. 
He shrank, but braced himself, and gently said : 
" But, father, not by many or by few 
Is our God bound to working. Many or few 
To Him is one. Nay, were there none save me. 
Were I alone among my brethren, I, 
Alone among my brethren, yet would dare." 

Against the vernal aspiration w^arm 
Of SauFs young blood and tropic temperament 
Gamaliel's aged, wise, sententious phlegm. 
And magisterial manner though benign, 
Abode unmoved, inert, insensible; 
Like an ice-Alp that freezes on its cheek 



1 6 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book I. 

A breath of spring soft blowing from the south. 
With viscid slow demur the old man spoke, 
And downcast heavily shook his hoary head : 

" To dare is cheap and common with our race, 
We are few dastards ; did not Judas dare ? 
And Theudas ? But their daring came to naught. 
Wisdom with daring, fortitude to wait, 
We need, son Saul ; the daring that must do, 
And cannot wait, has wrought us sumless ill. " 

Damped, but remonstrant, Saul still plied his plea : 
" And yet but now, ' How long,' I heard thee cry, 
* How long. Lord God of Sabaoth, how long ?' " 

"Yea," said Gamaliel, "that I daily cry." 

"Thy counsel and thy praying how agree ?" 

" Men I bid wait; wait not, I pray my God." 

" Were this not well, O master calmly wise, 
In trust that God will rouse him at my cry. 
To rouse myself and strongly side with God ? 
I cannot rest in peace ; I hear the woe 
Denounced for such as safely sit at ease 
In Zion. Let me do as well as pray." 

Saul's rising zeal once more the master checked : 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 1 7 

" Praying is doing, likewise waiting works ; 
But what, son Saul, is in thine heart to do ? 
I cherished better dreams, my son, for thee, 
Than to behold thee leading to their doom 
One helpless, hopeless, hapless company more, 
Insurgent out of season against Rome, 
Confederate sons of folly and of crime ! " 

Rebuke like this Saul brooked it ill to hear ; 
With filial sweet resentment he replied : 
" And cherish other dreams, I pray thee, father ! 
No man-at-arms am I to challenge Rome ; 
Though not even Rome should daunt me, called of God 
To front her with but pebble from the brook, 
Like David, in her plenitude of power. 
Rome rules us, and I grieve, but I rejoice : 
I grieve that we are such as must be ruled. 
And cannot rule ourselves ; but I rejoice, 
Since such we are, that we are ruled by Rome. 
The strongest and the wisest is the best 
To serve, if one must serve. Alas, my country ! 
Her face is in the dust because her heart 
Grovels, and therefore on her neck the heel. 
So, not to rid us of the Roman. I 



1 8 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book I 

Labor with this desire, but to erect 

The dustvvard spirit of my countrymen. 

This people knowing not the law are cursed ! " 

By instinct wise of policy unmeant, 
Saul, in his last half-maledictory words 
Of vehement passion edged with bitterness, 
Had struck a chord that answered in the breast 
Of the habitual teacher of the law. 
" Yea," said Gamaliel, " now art thou true son 
And utterest wisdom. Make them know the law. 
With both my hands I bless thee speaking thus. 
The law shall save them, if they know the law. " 

Saul knew it was Gamaliel's wont that spoke, 
His life-long wont of reverence for the law 
And trust in its omnipotence to serve 
Whatever need befell his nation — this, 
Rather than any fresh, fair-springing sense 
Of hope in him auxiliar to his own. 
Yet, in despair of better heartening now. 
And self-impelled to ease his laboring mind. 
He, fixed and faltering both, with courteous phrase 
Premised of teachable assent sincere 
To smooth somewhat thereto his doubtful way, 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL, 19 

Frankly a hearing for his counsel sought : 
" I ever heard thee, father, teaching that, 
And I believe it wholly, mind and heart ; 
But something now I did not learn from thee, 
Hearken, I pray, and weigh if it be wise. " 

But less like one who hearkened as to weigh 
A counsel shown, Gamaliel now to Saul 
Seemed, than like one who sat behind a shield 
In opposition, a broad shield of brow 
Immobile, placid, large circumference. 
And orb of diamond proof, between them hung 
There on the housetop still in dim twilight. 
Ready to quench in darkness any ray 
Of word or sign from him that should aspire 
To reach an understanding guarded so — 
Such to Saul seemed Gamaliel now, while yet, 
Despite, repressed but irrepressible, 
That strenuous strong spirit thus went on : 
" Deeply I have desired to know my time 
And not to waste my strength beating the air. 
Are not men's needs other with other times ? 
No more perhaps in peaceful shelters now 
Sacred to sacred studies, synagogue 



20 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book I 

Retirements, where our doctors of the law 
Propose in turn their sage conclusions, heard 
By questioning disciples — here perhaps 
No more is truth most truly taught to men. 
Some, it may be, might well go forth to stand 
Even at the corners of the streets and cry. 
Folly amain preaches to gaping crowds, 
And shall not wisdom cry ? My heart is hot. 
Amid the multitude they make their prey. 
To meet these false proclaimers to their face, 
And stop their mouths, with Moses and with all 
The prophets and the Psalms, from uttering lies. " 

Gamaliel heard, and like a lion stood, 
That shakes his dewy mane from slumber roused ; 
The old man loomed in action nobly tall. 
As thus, with weighty gesture, in a voice 
Solid with will, he gently, sternly spoke : 
" Nay, Saul, my son, thy zeal misguides thee now — 
Thy zeal, and peradventure some conceit 
Of wisdom wiser than thine elders. Thou, 
Consenting thus to parley with the fool 
According to his folly, like becomest. 
This is a time to answer otherwise 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL, 21 

Than with the wind of words against their words 

Of wind, as equal against equal matched. 

Those wresters of the law must feel the law 

Smiting their mouths shut with the heavy hand. 

With blows, not words, vain fools like these are taught. 

Go thou thy way, to-morrow shalt thou see 

Hap other far than that thou hast devised 

Befall those evil men of Galilee. 

Our chiefly prudent, watchful for our weal, 

Will stop their mouths profane and make an end. " 

Saul chode his tongue to silence, but his heart 
Set stern in resolution touched with pride, 
As, after decent pause, he took farewell. 

The master and the pupil parted thus, 
And both were blind to that which was to be ; 
For both would change, but change in converse wayS; 
Gamaliel gentle grow, and Saul grow hard. 

That morrow, Peter with his brethren all, 
Apostle preachers of the Gospel, felt 
The heavy hand Gamaliel shadowed fall 
Indeed upon them into dungeon thrown. 
But thence by night the angel of the Lord, 
Opening the doors, delivered them, and bade 



22 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book I. 

Boldly into the temple take their way 

And there preach Christ to all the worshippers. 

With the first flush of morning, their swift feet 

Shod with the sandals of obedience, 

They hasten to fulfil the angelic word. 

Meanwhile the Sanhedrim for counsel met 

Concerning those their prisoners, and the state, 

The vexed state, of the Hebrew commonwealth, 

Sent pursuivants to fetch them from their cells 

And station them in presence to be judged. 

But those despatched to bring them came and said, 

" We found, indeed, the prison safely shut 

And all the keepers keeping watch and ward 

Without before the doors ; but entering in 

To find our prisoners, prisoner found we none. " 

The captain of the temple, the high-priest. 
And all that council mused in maze and doubt — 
Gamaliel most, guessing the finger of God. 

But now comes one who brings a fresh report , 
" Behold," said he, " the men ye put in bond 
Are standing in the temple teaching there. " 
Forthwith the captain of the temple goes, 
His band attending, and, no violence shown — 



Book I. SA UL AND GAMALIEL, 23 

For fear was on them of the people, lest 
They stone them — leads the Galilaeans in. 

Robed venerably each in rich array 
Of purple, and fine linen, glistering white 
And broidered fair, their flowing garments fringed 
With large expanse of border and with cords 
Of blue adorned, broad their phylacteries, 
The council of the seventy sat severe 
Within their council-hall in solemn state. 
A semi-orb they sat, or crescent-wise, 
And in the midst, between the horns, were placed, 
Under their beetling frow^n, the prisoners. 
Awful these felt the presence of the place, 
And, while the high-priest of their nation, throned 
Middle and chief among the councillors, 
Denouncing asked : " Did we not straitly bid 
Forbear to teach in this accursed name 1 
And, lo, ye fill Jerusalem with bruit. 
And seek to bring on us this person's blood ! " — 
While thus, sternly, he spoke, those simple men 
Felt the heart fail within them and the tongue 
Cleave to the mouth's dry roof He ceasing, back 
Their spirit came, and Spirit not their own, 



24 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book I. 

The Holy Ghost of God, flooded their souls, 
As when into a bay the ocean pours. 
Then Peter and his brethren boldly spoke : 
" Fathers and brethren, hearken to our words: 
God needs must we, rather than men, obey. 
That Jesus whom ye crucified and slew. 
Him did the Lord God of our sires raise up, 
And at His own right hand exalt to be 
Both prince and saviour, to bestow on us 
Repentance and forgiveness of our sins. 
Of these things all we stand here witnesses ; 
Nor we alone, for with us witnesseth 
God's Spirit bestowed on whoso Him obeys. " 

Something not earthly in those prisoners' mien 
A tone of more than human in their words, 
A majesty, as of omnipotence 
Patient within them, ready to break forth. 
But patient still, to brook how much was need — 
So much, no more ! — this awed one watchful heart 
Prepared amid that council now to heed ; 
Gamaliel inly pondered, ' Is it God .? ' 
The clear simplicity, the perfect faith, 
The steady, prompt obedience, the serene 



Book I. SA UL AND GAMALIEL, 25 

Courage that dared, without defying, all 
The terrors brandished by the Sanhedrim — 
This spirit, strange in those despised men, 
As with a soft and subtle atmosphere 
Enfolding and suffusing him, subdued 
The solid temper of his mind, the strong 
Set of his resolution grim relaxed, 
Undid the hard contortions of his nerves, 
And supple made the will so firm before. 
His steadfast poise of confidence perturbed, 
Gamaliel trembled with uncertainty. 

Otherwise Saul ; he, merged in different thought, 
Eluded quite that penetrative spell. 
Unconscious of the Holy Ghost, he strove 
Blindly against Him, like the rest, though not 
Yet, like the rest, with zeal of violence 
To do the prisoners harm or shed their blood ; 
With such zeal not, but with ambitious pride 
Of wisdom unawares puffed up to show 
His prowess in the Scriptures, and to earn 
A high degree surpassing all his peers. 
His fellow-councillors concerting how 
To quench this propagandist fire in blood, 



26 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book I. 

Saul said within his heart : 

* Nay, nay, instead. 
Might I but once these bold presumers face 
Amid the idling crowds they feed with lies. 
How, from the law itself, whereof, untaught 
Therein, they prate, would I, in open test 
Of argument, confute them to their teeth ! 
Their own ill-wielded weapons from their hands 
Seen wrenched and turned against them, surely then 
Not only would these brawlers cease, but all 
Would laud and magnify the glorious Word 
Of God, thus shown, well wielded, capable 
Of wreaking its own vengeance on its foes. * 

These twain such counsel in their secret breast 
Held diverse, while that strife of words went on. 

Not what, in present need, behooved to do — 
A full and fell accord conjoined them there ! — 
Was doubt or question to the Sanhedrim ; 
But in what chosen way their chosen goal, 
The doom of death for those accursed men, 
With safe sure speed, most prudently, to reach — 
This doubt embroiled a vehement debate. 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL, 27 

One argued thus his sentence and advice — 
Caiaphas he, high-priest that lately was, 
Reputed statesman politic and wise : 
" We are a subject nation ; government 
Is for this present slipped from out our hands. 
Chafe how we may, how will it otherwise. 
Ours is a state of vassalage to Rome. 
Death in our hearts and death upon our tongues, 
Denounced amain against our enemies, 
Is futile — thunder bare of thunderbolt. 
We make ourselves a laughter — unless we 
Warp toward our end with wisdom ; who is weak 
Well needs be wise, to win — wisdom is power. 
To kill and keep alive, by process due 
Of law, no longer appertains to us. 
That right being forfeit to our conqueror ; this 
Must we not let our honorable pride. 
Justly indignant, and our holy zeal 
Incensed for God, bribe us to blink. But slave^ 
If wise, may make a foolish master serve. 
Break we proud Rome to do our task for us. 
True triumph, when we wield the tyrant power 
Itself of domination over us 
A weapon in our hands to work our will ! 



28 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book 1. 

" I counsel that we seek and find firm ground 
Of mortal accusation, before those 
Who rule us, against these audacious men, 
As teachers of seditious doctrine meant 
To undermine allegiance, and at length 
Prompt insurrection and a state of war. 
Rome then will stamp our troublers out of life, 
And we, well rid of them without annoy, 
Besides shall safely reap from her the praise, 
Ill-merited, of fealty to her right — 
Praise that sometime hereafter may be gain 
Of vantage, if sometime hereafter come 
Fit season to fling off her hated yoke." 

Such words of weight spoke Caiaphas. and ceased 
Those words, not idle, fell as falls the steel 
Smiting the flint ; a sparkle keen of fire 
Flew forth, found tinder ready, and flashed up 
In instant flame. A patriot malcontent, 
Fiercely, irreconcilably, a Jew, 
Was Mattathias ; Mattathias said : 
" Yoke by whom hated ? Surely not by him 
Who tamely brooks to talk of earning praise 
For loyalty from Rome ! Nor more by those 



Book! SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 29 

Who patient sit to hear such counsel broached ! 

Nay, men my brethren, that I did not hear ! 

Sure, son of Abraham never have I heard 

Own himself slave, and meekly speak of Rome, 

As of a master ! This I will not hear ! 

I could not hear it ! Speech of such a strain 

Were like a river of molten metal poured 

Red-hot into my ear to quench the sense ! 

Stone-deaf am I to craven treachery 

From one of my own fellow-councillors here ! 

I only heard my brother say, ' Let us 

Arise and stand for God ! ' Lo, I arise 

And stand, with him, with all ! There is a law, 

Ancient and unrepealed, wholesome and good. 

To stone for blasphemy. Blasphemers these. 

What wait we ? We have hands, and there are stones, 

Let us this instant forth and stone them, stone 

Unto the death ! " 

The clenched hands, and the fierce 
Menace of husky tones, half-choked, and teeth 
Gnashing, and brow braided with swollen knots. 
Were more than words to speak the murderous will. 

The prisoners listened with suspended breath ; 



30 THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book 1. 

They deemed a dreadful doom indeed was nigh. 

Instinctive instant fear, forestalling faith, 

With sudden loud alarum startled them, 

And for one moment violently shook, 

In them, all save the basis of the soul — 

One moment — then they sped themselves with prayer, 

Ran to the shelter of the promises. 

And were at peace ! In that secure retreat 

Withdrawn, the secret place of the Most High, 

The angel of the Lord encamping round, 

Composedly at leisure they looked out 

And saw the wicked plot against the just, 

Vainly, and gnash upon him with his teeth ! 

W^ithin their hearts they knew his day would come. 

The speaker still stood leaning imminent. 
His posture instigation, while a hiss 
Of hot adhesion ran increasing round — 
But skipped Gamaliel, skipped the musing Saul 
With one beside, scarce daring to be dumb- — 
When, in his place, slowly, by soft degrees, 
With furtive look and gesture, to his feet 
Stealing, half stood, half crouched, a speaker new. 
This was one Shimei, an abject man, 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 3 1 

Abject in spirit, though in wit not dull, 

And capable of long malevolence 

Fed on resentments such as abjects feel. 

Saul listened, but Gamaliel bowed in prayer, 

As Shimei thus, obliquely, sneering, spoke : 

" Stoning is pleasant, doubtless, when, as now, 

One's sense of righteousness is much engaged. 

The reflex satisfaction to be had 

From accurately casting a choice stone 

To break the teeth of the ungodly, is 

Superlative, perhaps the very highest 

Relish attainable to mortals here. 

The consciousness of sympathy with God 

Always exhilarates delightfully ; 

But in particular if the sympathy 

Be exercised in such a case as this. 

Where the most glorious of God's attributes, 

His justice, is involved. Borne far above 

Pity, or any weakness of the sense, 

You only feel a rapture of divine 

Approval of the law you execute. 

So subtly strong and sweet possesses you 

The instinct to indulge your appetite 

For righteousness, you might almost mistake 



32 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book I. 

Your pleasure for the pleasure of revenge. 

" But let revenge be for the heathen, who 
Know not Jehovah and His law contemn. 
Jehovah's chosen we, our sentiment 
Purged of all personal bias of mere hate, 
We simply wash our feet in wicked blood 
With pleasure — pleasure naturally enhanced, 
If we have spilled said wicked blood ourselves. 

" Yea, stoning gratifies the pious mind 
Profoundly — grant the stoning be by you ; 
By you, not to you ; being stoned, I judge, 
Is less satisfactory. On this point who doubt 
Or differ, have their opportunity 
To clear their minds by prompt experiment — 
They need but act upon the last advice ; 
For — grant our gracious masters smiled and pleased 
To let us play a prank of self-misrule, 
This once, wilful, but harmless, in their view. 
Which might even turn out comedy for them — 
Yet, stoning these, we should ourselves get stoned, 
With expedition — past all chance of doubt. 
Our friend, the vehement adviser here, 
Might peradventure go himself as blithe 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. Z2> 

To be stoned by the people, as to stone 
These pestilent fellows — for the glory of God. 
But, then, more clearly how the glory of God 
Would be subserved thereby, the rest of us, 
Colder in heart perhaps, but certainly 
Cooler in head, would wish to be advised, 
Before we take our lives into our hands 
To wreak the righteous judgment of the law 
On favorites of a fierce and fickle mob 
Whose palms, unless I much misread the signs, 
Already itch for stones to throw at us, 
While we sit here and talk of throwing stones 
At whom they love and honor. 

" Give them line 
This wild Jerusalem mob, and they will change 
Their mood. Remember how it chanced but late 
With Jesus Nazarene. Hailed yesterday 
Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords, 
Ovation of hosannas greeting him 
From thousand times a thousand throats — to-day, 
A malefactor hooted through the streets, 
With ' Crucify him ! Crucify him ! * cried 
In multitudinous chorus like one voice — 
The mouths to-day and yesterday the same. 



34 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book I. 

Their second tune indeed we set for them 
And sang precentors — but how well they joined ! 
In due time pitch them the like tune again, 
And doubt not they will sing it with full breath. 

" Not that I hence advise to wait remiss; 
My counsel is no less from sloth removed 
Than hostile to crude, hasty violence. 
Only, shun public note ; with proper quest, 
Ways may be found, ways pregnant too, that make 
No noise. The nail that went so shrewdly through 
Sisera's temples made no noise. It sped 
Softly, but sped surely, and found the quick 
Secret of life. Are there not Jaels yet ? 
You have guessed what I advise. The end you seek 
Is holy ; holy hold whatever means 
Shall lead thereto. Let us commit this thing 
To those the wisest found among us, few 
Better than many, charging them to choose 
Some suitable silent means of silencing 
These praters, without stir or scandal made, 
Likest the ways of nature, hint, perhaps. 
Conveyed of overruling providence 
At work through nature for revenging crime. 



Book I. SAUL AND GAMALIEL. 35 

" For me, I seek no honor at your hands : 
I do not court responsibility ; 
I am least wise among you ; yet a trust 
Imposed were duty sacred in mine eyes. " 

As, should along a living bosom warm 
With youthful life-blood coursing joyously, 
A deadly serpent, with protracted, cold 
Belly incumbent, glide, beneath that touch 
And creep the conscious flesh would creeping shrink, 
And all the genial current in the veins 
Curdle ; so now, at Shimei's words, much more 
At signs in him that spoke beyond his words, 
The accent of the voice, the look, the port 
Of figure, sinister suggestion couched 
In action or grimace, there came a chill, 
A shudder, of reaction and collapse 
Over the council late with zeal aglow. 
Even Mattathias, who, in attitude 
Of menace, after Shimei arose, 
Some space still stood — he, too, while Shimei 
Was speaking, felt the evil spell and sank 
Into his seat. With one accord they all, 
When Shimei ceased, a gloomy silence kept. 



36 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book L 

Gamaliel did not lift his head, but groaned 
Audibly now, though gently, in his prayer. 

From such a source such sound made seem yet more 
Ominous the spell which hushed that council-hall. 



BOOK II. 
SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 



The Sanhedrim still in session on the apostles' case, Saul 
speaks ; first scornfully repudiating for himself Shimei's pro- 
posal of guile, and then impressively announcing his own 
purpose, now fully mature, to controvert the Christian 
preachers in open argument before the people. After a 
pause following Saul's speech, Gamaliel speaks in favor of 
letting the prisoners go free. Other councillors express their 
sentiments. A scourging of the utmost severity being pro- 
posed, Nicodemus, with bated breath, deprecates first a cruel 
infliction, and then any infliction at all. Release after 
scourging is finally resolved upon. 



SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 

Dumb-struck and stirless long the Sanhedrim — 
Instinctively abhorrent from the part 
Of that base councillor — at last there rose 
A new assessor in the midst to speak. 

A young man he, who, in the general thought, 
Wherever moving, round about him wore 
A golden halo of uncertain hope 
And prophecy of bright futures. Aspect clear 
And pure ; straight stature ; foothold firm and free ; 
The bloom of youth just ripening to the hue 
Of perfect manhood upon cheek and brow ; 
Lip mobile, but not lax — capacity 
Expressed of exquisite emotion, will 
Elastic and resilient, tempered true 
To bend, not break, and ultimately strong ; 
Glances of lightning latent in the eye. 
But lightning liable to be quenched in tears ; 
The pride of every Hebrew, such was Saul. 



40 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book II. 

A Stir of expectation broke the hush 
Of that strange silence, ere his opening words : 
"That I, the youngest of this order, thus 
Should rise for speech — and that beloved gray head 
Before me bowed, unready yet — might seem 
Unseemly. But to speak after he speaks, 
My own revered guide, the guide of all, 
Would be, should I then speak to differ, more 
Unseemly still. And what I have to say, 
Being my thought, burns in me to be said. 
Approve, condemn, who will ; God bids me speak. " 

Gamaliel raised his head and looked at Saul. 
Saul felt the look, and hardened his will, but not 
His heart, to meet it. Turning so, he saw. 
Not what he inly braced himself to bear, 
Warning, rebuke, anger to overawe. 
Reproach, appeal, dissuasion, pain confessed 
At filial separation, grasp of will 
At old authority elapsed — of these, 
Naught ; only a pathos of perplexity, 
A broken, anguished, groping childlikeness, 
Desire of any help, and hope of none — 
Saul will hereafter understand it all ; 



Book II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 4 1 

He simply marks it now compassionately 
In wonder, pausing not, and thus, with loth 
Allusion to the last advice, proceeds : 
" But other speech my lips refuse, until 
I purge my conscience by protesting here, 
For me, I spurn, scorn, hate, loathe utterly 
The devil and devilish lies. I have no qualms 
At blood, but I love truth, and qualms I own 
At falsehood, practised in whatever name ; 
Damnable ever, then thrice damnable, 
Damning a holy cause it feigns to serve ! " 

A flush of warm revival in the breasts 
Of some that listened answered to such words. 
But one there was, that vile adviser, felt 
A gripe of mortal hatred at his heart. 
He, by GamaHel's eye not unobserved. 
Behind a black malignant scowl which, like 
That murk emission of the cuttle-fish. 
Flushed from his heart his face to overspread 
And hide his thought, sat fostering the wound 
Of Saul's disdainful noble words — a wound 
To rankle long in the obscene recess 
Of that bad bosom, and therein to breed 



42 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book II. 

At last an issue foul of fell revenge ; 

In purpose fell, though in fulfilment foiled. 

But Saul, magnanimously heedless, deigned 
Nor glance at him nor thought of consequence. 
Elate with the elixir of his youth, 
And buoyed with confidence exultant now 
By the rebound of his beginning, buoyed 
Besides with sympathy, he passed along, 
Yet, master he, not mastered, of his mood, 
Curbed strongly his strong passion and delight 
Of power, and, calm with self-possessing will, 
Force in him to have sped a thunderbolt 
Stayed back from sudden waste, to be sent on 
In fine diffusive throb — as farther thus : 
" Enough of that ; I did but purify 
My soul with words. I feared some inward stain 
From only listening, if I listened only, 
And did not speak, when base was proffered me. 

" Hear now what I propose. What I propose 
Is not advice ; advice I neither give 
Nor ask. I do not ask it, for my heart 
Is fixed ; duress of conscience presses me. 
With flesh and blood forbidding to confer. 



Book 11. SA UL AND THE SANHEDRIM, 43 

I must do what I shall, in man's or devil's 
Despite. I trust I speak not thus in pride. 
Not therefore that the census of your yeas 
Or nays may guide me, but that ye may weigh 
What force my purpose now unfolded owns 
To sway your present counsels, hear and judge. 

" Ye know, and all Jerusalem, that Saul 
Has counted nothing worthy to be prized 
Beside the learning of the law of God. 
For this, a boy, from yon Cilician lands 
I came ; for this, I have consumed my youth. 
What envied gains of knowledge I have made, 
Sitting a student at Gamaliel's feet, 
Befits me not to vaunt ; these, small or large, 
Belong to God and to my nation, being mine 
Only to use for Him and them. I see 
Plainly how I must use my trust from God. 
Wherefore are we assembled .? Wherefore, save 
Because these sciolists pervert the law, 
Deceived perhaps, deceiving certainly 1 " 

Scarce waved a careless hand in sign at them — 
Toward the apostles, still in presence there, 
Saul deigned not to divert his scornful eyes : 



44 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book II. 

"Shame is it if I, knowing the law indeed, 
Am less than match for these untutored minds, 
Amid the flocking fools they lead astray, 
To controvert their hateful heresies. 
Herewith then I proclaim my ripe resolve 
To undertake, against the preaching liars. 
On their own terms, a warfare for the truth. 
Let it be seen which cause, in open list, 
Is stronger, truth from heaven or lie from hell ! 

" Brethren and fathers, as ye will, consult ; 
The youngest has his purpose thus divulged. '* 

As when a palm diversely blown upon 
In a strong tempest of opponent winds. 
Now this way, and now that, obedient 
To each prevailing present urgency, 
Leans to all quarters of the firmament 
By turns, but quickly, let a lull succeed, 
Upright again, shows every leaf composed ; 
So now the council, long enough between 
Opinion and opinion buffeted, 
While Saul was speaking took a little ease, 
No new advice proposed, to breathe again, 
Steady itself, and come to equipoise. 



Book II. SA UL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 45 

Some thought that Saul had spoken proudly ; some, 
That pride became his worth ; some held that he 
Would make his vaunting good ; some feared his plan 
Savored of youth and rashness ; others deemed 
Public dispute mistaken precedent 
Teeming with various mischief — sure to breed 
Insufferable pretensions in the crowd, 
So taught to count themselves fit arbiters 
On Scriptural or traditional points of moot, 
And, by close consequence, a serious breach 
Endanger in their own authority ; 
Yet others felt, whatever fruit beside 
Was borne of Saul's proposed experiment, 
Two things at least were safe to reckon on — 
In its own dignity, the Sanhedrim 
Must needs incur immedicable hurt, 
So plainly scandalous a spectacle 
Exhibiting, a councillor enrolled 
Of their own number stooping to debate 
On equal terms with ignorant fishermen ; 
Then, on their side, those flattered fishermen, 
Far from indulging proper gratitude 
For being publicly confounded quite 
At such illustrious hands, would be instead 



46 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book II. 

Inflated out of measure, nigh to burst, 
With added pride at complaisance so new 
From their superiors, while the common herd 
Would give them greater heed accordingly. 

Such things diverse they thought, and silence kept, 
Saul's colleagues in the Sanhedrim ; they all 
Together felt that Saul in any wise 
Would go Saul's way ; they therefore silence kept. 

One man alone, by age and gravity, 
And reverence his in ample revenue, 
Was easy master of the Sanhedrim : 
On him the council rested and revolved. 
As on a fix^d centre and support. 
And now, * Gamaliel ! let us hear at last 
Gamaliel's word,' was suddenly the sole. 
The simultaneous, silent thought to all. 
The eyes of all concentred instantly 
Upon Gamaliel found that saint esteemed 
And sage already stirring as to rise. 
Their readiness to hear, with his to speak, 
Timed so in perfect reciprocity 
And exquisite accord responsive, marked 
That fleet meet moment for the orator, 



Book II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 47 

Which, conscious half, but half unconscious, he, 
Gamaliel, wielded by the Holy Ghost, 
Was now to seize and use for God so well. 

The hoary head, the mien of majesty. 
The associative power of ancient fame, 
His habit and tradition of command. 
Their instinct, grown inveterate, to obey, 
Always, wherever he arose to speak 
Among his brethren, won Gamaliel heed. 
But now, a certain gentle winsomeness. 
Born of a certain wavering wistfulness, 
Qualified so a new solemnity 
Of manner, like a prophet's, felt in him, 
That awe came on his hearers as from God. 
Gamaliel first bade put the prisoners forth, 
In keeping, out of audience, and then said : 
"My brethren : Saul my brother — son no more 
I name him, since he parts himself from me 
In counsel — yet I love him not the less — " 

A tremor of sensation fluttered through 
The council, with these words, and at Saul's heart 
Pausing, infixed, then healed, a subtle pang 
Of sweet remorse and gracious tenderness — 



48 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book 11. 

" Yea, not the less for this love I my son, 
My brother, while I honor him the more. 
Yea, and not wholly does he part himself 
From me ; in deepest counsel we are one. 
Saul seeks to honor God obeying Him, 
The same seek I ; are we not deeply one ? 
And ever I have taught obedience 
To God as the prime thing and paramount ; 
Disciple therefore still to me, and son. 
Is Saul, even in this act and article 
Of his secession from his master's part ; 
Saul and Gamaliel both, and all of us, 
I pray my God to save from self-deceit! 
I shudder while I pray, ' Deliver me, 

Lord, deliver, from the secret sin 

Of false supposed obedience masking pride ! * 

" Late, I was sure, as Saul is sure to-day. 

1 thought, and doubted not, we ought to do 
Even what ye now are bent to bring to pass. 
My way was not Saul's way, but rather yours ; 
To me it seemed plainly, as seems to you. 
Wiser to save the body by some loss. 

If loss were need, of limb. Unfalteringly, 



Book 11. SA UL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 49 

The knife would I myself with mine own hand 
Have wielded to cut off these members, judged 
Unsound and harmful to the general health, 
Forever from the congregation. Now, 
I feel less sure, Gamaliel feels less sure. 
I wish — brethren, I think I wish — to be 
Obedient ; though deceitful is the heart 
Above all things and wicked desperately — 
What man can know it? — yet I think I will 
Obedience. That was a pure word — the mouth 
However far from pure that uttered it — 
' To God rather than men must we obey.' 
Saul was true son of mine to turn from me 
To God — if haply he to God indeed 
Have turned from me, and not from me to Saul, 
Not knowing ! Might I also turn, even I, 
Gamaliel from Gamaliel, unto God ! 
I dread to trust myself, lest I, myself 
Obeying, misdeem myself obeying God. 

" Hearken, my children. These accused men 
Unlikely, most unlikely, choice of Heaven 
To be His prophets, seemed, and seem, to me. 
I look at them and find no prophet mien ; 



50 THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book 11. 

I listen and their Galilaean speech 

Offends me ; and far more the scandal is 

To think what message they propound to us. 

Their person and their message I reject — 

Reject, or if reject not, not receive. 

And yet, my brethren, yet, I counsel you, 

Beware ! What ye intend, accomplished once, 

Were once for all accomplished, not to be 

Undone forever. Ye consult to slay. 

And find your purpose hard to come by. How, 

If, having slain, to your repentance, ye 

Consulted to bring back to life again ? 

Were that not harder yet 7 Wherefore take heed, 

Ye men of Israel. Remember how, 

A generation gone, Theudas arose, 

Proud boaster and asserter of himself. 

Who drew his hundreds to his standard ; he 

Was slain, and all his followers came to naught. 

Some space thereafter, out of Galilee 

Judas arose and mustered to his side 

Many adherents ; but he perished too, 

And all that clave to him were far dispersed. 

"This therefore as to these is my advice : 



Book II. SA UL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 5 1 

Refrain your hands from them ; let them alone. 

Know, if their deed and counsel be of men, 

Its doom is certain, it will come to naught; 

But if it be of God, strive how ye may, 

Ye cannot overthrow it. Well take heed, 

Lest haply ye be found to fight against 

God. For myself, when close upon the heels 

Of what was wrought mysterious in the escape 

Of these our prisoners from that warded keep 

Fast-barred, I heard their answer to our sharp 

Inquest and blame, I felt as felt of old 

That prophet chanting his majestic strain, 

' The Lord is in His holy temple, let 

The earth, let the whole earth, before Him keep 

Silence.' My soul kept silence and still keeps. 

And silence keep, all ye, before the Lord ! 

For the Lord cometh, lo. He cometh swift 

To judge the earth ! And who of us shall bide 

The day of His approach ? Not surely he 

Then found in arms against God and His Christ !" 

Gamaliel spoke and ceased ; but, while he spoke, 
His speaking was like silence audible. 
Rather than sound of voice ; and when he ceased, 



52 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book II. 

His silence was as eloquence prolonged. 

Awhile the council sat as in a trance, 
Unable or unwilling to bestir 
Themselves for speech or motion. But not all 
Are capable of awe. Some present there, 
Either through sad defect of nature proof, 
Or through long worldly habit seared and sealed, 
Against the access of heavenly influence, 
Bode unaware of anything divine 
Descended near them — carnal minds, immersed 
In sense, from shocks of spirit insulate. 
Calm, discomposure none from things unseen. 
The faculty for such experience lost. 
Pitiably self-possessed ! and God Himself 
So nigh to have possessed them ! 

These a space 
Waited to let the power a little pass. 
Wrought by Gamaliel on the council ; then 
With tentati^re preamble, one of them 
Said that Gamaliel's words were words of weight. 
Weight well derived from character like his — 
Whereat the speaker paused, with crafty eye 
Cast round from countenance to countenance, 



Book II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 53 

To read how much he safely might detract, 

By open difference or by sly demur, 

From the just value and authority 

Of mild Gamaliel's sentence. But small sign 

Saw he to hearten him in hope of ebb 

To the strong tide still standing at full flood 

That set in favor of the prisoners. 

He feebly closed with wish expressed — and wish 

It was, not hope — of hope no grounds he saw — 

That some means might be found to save the shocked 

And staggering dignity — a dignity 

Ancient and sacred — of the Sanhedrim 

From sheer shipwreck. 

Some slight responsive stir 
Under such spur to pride emboldened one 
To trust they should at least sharply rebuke 
The prisoners, and take bond of word from them 
Not further to disturb the city's peace. 
Another following said, that had been tried 
Already once, with what result accrued 
Was plain to see. And now the Sanhedrim, 
Through various such suggestion commonplace. 
Relaxed somewhat from their late mood so tense, 
Grew readier to approve his voice who said : 



54 THE EPIC OE SA UL, Book II. 

''The first offence we deemed condignly met 

With reprimand from us, and interdict. 

Those gentle means the prisoners once have scorned, 

And to our face assure us they will scorn. 

Now let such contumacious insolence 

Toward just authority too meek, be met, 

If not with death deserved, at least with stripes 

So heavy they shall wish it had been death. " 

Such truculence renewed provoked a new 
Reaction. This, that councillor less stern 
Noted — who, with Gamaliel and with Saul, 
Refrained, when all the others hissed applause 
To Mattathias — noted, and with thrift 
Converted into opportunity. 

A wary spirit Nicodemus was, 
With impulses toward good, but weak in will, 
And selfish as the timid are. His heart 
Was a divided empire in his breast, 
Half firm for God, but half to self seduced. 
His fellows trusted him accordingly; 
Hate him they could not, but they did not love. 
Some guessed him guilty of discipleship 
To Jesus, secretly indulged through fean 



Book II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM, 55 

This their suspicion the suspect in turn 
Suspected, and the uneasy consciousness 
Made him more curious than his wont to move 
By indirection toward his present aim. 
What he wished was, to serve the prisoners 
And not disserve himself — a double end. 
Rendering his counsels double ; but as such 
Could speak, now Nicodemus rising spoke. 
With sinuous slow approach winning his way 
Devious whither he wished to go, like those 
Creatures that backward facing forward creep 
And seem retiring still while they advance, 
So Nicodemus wound him toward his goal, 
Well-chosen, as he said : 

" Let us be wise ; 
Beyond our purpose were not well to go, 
Were foolish. Cruelty is not, I trust. 
Our spirit ; God is just, but cruel not. 
Let us, God's sons, be just indeed, like God, 
But then, like God, also not cruel. Stripes 
Are heavy, howsoever lightly laid 
On freeborn men. The shame is punishment ; 
A wounded spirit who can bear .? Through flesh 
You smite the smarting spirit, every blow. 



56 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book II. 

Remember too that lacerated flesh 

Has lips to plead with, makes its mute appeal 

To pity — eloquence incapable 

Of being answered, charging cruelty ; 

Whereas the bleeding spirit, bleeding hid. 

No cruelty imputes, reports no pain, 

But, pith of self-respect clean gone from one. 

Glazes the eye, dejects the countenance. 

Changes the voice to hollow, takes the spring 

Out of the step, and leaves the man a wretch 

To suffer on an object of contempt 

More than compassion — hopelessly bereft 

Of power to captivate the public ear. 

Which ever itches to be caught the prey 

Of orator full-blooded, iron lungs, 

Brass front, a lusty human animal. 

Such make of men, through shame of public stripes. 

Transformed to eunuchs — this, sure, were enough ; 

Nay, for our purpose, more than more would be. 

And even so much as this, yea, lightest stripe, 

Drawing a sequel such as I have said — 

Brethren, for me, my soul revolts from it ; 

I feel it cruel, fear it impious. 

Behooves we ponder well Gamaliel's word ; 



Book II. SAUL AND THE SANHEDRIM. 57 

And, if to slay were haply against God 

To be found fighting, why not, then, to scourge?" 

" Such fine-spun sentiment," another now, 
Concurring, though sarcastically, said, 
" In pity of the victim of the scourge 
For suffering inwardly endured through shame, 
Supposes that your victim is endowed 
With some small faculty for feeling shame, 
Which in the present case asks evidence. 

" Still, I too take the clement part, and say, 
If only for Saul's sake, let these go free 
Of any but the lightest punishment. 
Saul will desire for foemen hearts as strong 
As may be, to call out that strength in him 
Which we well know, for their discomfiture. 
Even thus, he may prefer some other foe 
Than men disparaged by the brand of blows 
Upon their backs, some fairer, fresher fame, 
His gage of battle to take up, and be 
By him immortalized through overthrow 
Experienced, such as never yet was worse. " 

Divergent so in view or motive, they 
Agreed at last to let the prisoners go 



58 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book II. 

With stripes inflicted, and a charge severe 
Imposed to speak in Jesus' name no more. 
These so released departed thence with joy, 
Rejoicing to have been accounted meet 
For Jesus' sake to suffer shame. Nor ceased 
Those faithful men to preach and teach as erst, 
Both in the temple and from house to house, 
Daily still sounding forth Jesus as Christ. 

But Saul withdrew deep pondering in his mind 
How he might best his plan divulged fulfill. 



BOOK III. 

SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 



Stephen, as a Christian preacher of brilliant genius and of 
growing fame, is selected by Saul to be his antagonist in the 
controversy resolved upon by him. To a vast concourse of 
people assembled in expectation of hearing Stephen preach, 
Saul takes the opportunity to address an impassioned and 
elaborate appeal, with argument, against Stephen's doctrine. 
His hearers are powerfully affected ; among them, he not 
knowing it, Saul's own beloved sister Rachel. 



SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 

Like a wise soldier on some task intent 
Of moment and of hazard, who, at heart 
Secure of prospering, yet no caution counts, 
No pains, unworthy, but with wary feet 
Explores his ground about him every rood, 
All elements of chance forecalculates, 
Draws to his part each doubtful circumstance ; 
Never too much provided, point by point 
Equips himself superfluously strong, 
That he prevailing may with might prevail, 
And overcome with bounteous victory ; 
So Saul, firm in resolve and confident. 
And inly stung with conscience and with zeal 
Not to postpone his weighty work proposed. 
Would not be hasty found, nor rash, to fail 
Of any circumspection that his sure 
Triumph might make more sure, or wider stretch 
Its margin, certain to be wide. 



62 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

Some days 
After the council, he, with forecast sage 
And prudence to prepare, refrained himself 
From word or deed in public ; while, at home, 
Not moody, but not genial as his use. 
His gracious use, was, self-absorbed, retired 
In deep and absent muse, he nigh might seem 
A stranger to his sister well-beloved, 
Wont to be sharer of his inmost mind. 

Inmost, save one reserve. He never yet 
Had shown to any, scarce himself had seen. 
The true deep master motive of.his soul. 
That fountain darkling in the depths of self 
Whence into light all streams of being flowed. 
Saul daily, nightly, waking, sleeping, dreamed 
Of a new nation, his beloved own. 
Resurgent from the dust consummate fair. 
And, for chief corner-stone, with shoutings reared 
To station in the stately edifice — 
Whom but himself? Who worthier than Saul.? 

This beckoning image bright of things to be — 
Audacious-lovelier far than might be shown 
To any, yea, than he himself dared look, 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 63 

With his own eyes, steadfast and frank upon — 
Was interblent so closely in his mind 
With what should be the fortune and effect 
Of his intended controversy nigh, 
That, though his settled purpose to dispute 
lie had for public reasons publicly 
Declared, he yet in private, of that strife, 
Still future, everywhere to speak abstained, 
Abiding even unto his sister dumb. 

Rachel from Tarsus to Jerusalem 
Had borne her brother company, her heart 
One heart with his to cheer him toward the goal 
Of his high purpose, which she knew, to be 
Beyond his equals master in the law. 
Alone they dwelt together, their abode 
Between Gamaliel's and the synagogue 
Of the Cihcians. Beautiful and bright 
His home she made to him, with housewife ways 
Neat-handed, and with fair companionship. 

The sister, with that quick intelligence 
The woman's, first divined, for secret cause 
Of this her brother's travailing silentness, 
That he some pregnant enterprise revolved ; 



64 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

Then, having, with the woman's wit, found means 

To advise herself what enterprise it was. 

She, with the woman's tact of sympathy, 

In watchful quiet reverent of his mood, 

Strove with him and strove for him, in her thought, 

Her wish, her hope, her prayer; nor failed sometimes 

A word to drop, unconsciously as seemed. 

By lucky chance, that might perhaps convey 

A timely help of apt suggestion wise 

To Saul her brother for his purpose, he 

All undisturbed to guess that aught was meant 

At home, abroad, reserved, Saul not the less 
All places of men's frequence and resort 
Still visited, and mixed with crowds to catch 
The whisper of the people ; active not, 
But not supine, observing unobserved 
As if alone amid the multitude. 
The brave apostles of the Nazarene 
He heard proclaim their master Lord and Christ, 
And marked their method in the Scriptures ; not 
With open mind obedient toward the truth. 
But ever only with shut heart and hard, 
Intent on knowing how to contradict. 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN, 65 

Meanwhile the novel doctrines spread, and found 
New converts day by day, and day by day 
Proclaimers new. Of these more eminent 
Was none than Stephen, flaming prophet he, 
Quenchless in spirit, full of faith and power. 
Him oft Saul heard, to listening throngs that hung 
Upon the herald's lips with eager ear, 
The claim of Jesus to Messiahship 
Assert, and from the psalms and prophets prove. 

In guise a seraph rapt, with love aflame 
And all aflame with knowledge, like the bush 
That burned with God in Horeb unconsumed. 
The fervent pure apostle Stephen stood. 
In ardors from celestial altars caught 
Kindling to incandescence — stood and forged, 
With ringing blow on blow, his argument, 
A vivid weapon edged and tempered so, 
And in those hands so wielded, that its stroke 
No mortal might abide and bide upright. 
Stephen is such as Saul erelong will be 
Risen from the baptism of the Holy Ghost ! 

Saul felt the breath of human power that blew 
Round Stephen like a morning wind, he felt 



66 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

The light that lifted and transfigured him 
And glorified, that bright auroral ray 
Of genius which forever makes the brow 
It strikes on from its fountain far in God 
Shine like the sunrise-smitten mountain peak — 
Saul felt these things in Stephen by his tie 
With Stephen in the fellowship of power ; 
Kindred to kindred answered and rejoiced. 
But that in Stephen which was more and higher 
Than Stephen at his native most and highest, 
The inhabitation of the Holy Ghost — 
This, Saul had yet no sense to apprehend. 
The Spirit of God, only the Spirit of God 
Can know ; the natural man to Him is deaf 
And blind. Saul, therefore, seeing did not see, 
And hearing heard not. But no less his heart. 
In seeing and in hearing Stephen speak. 
Leapt up with recognition of a peer 
In power to be his meet antagonist, 
And task him to his uttermost to foil. 
Beyond Saul's uttermost it was to be, 
That task ! though this of Stephen not, but God. 

Still goaded day by day with such desire 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN, 6 J 

As nobler spirits know, to feel the strain 
And wrestle of antagonistic thews 
Tempting his might and stirring up his mind, 
Saul felt, besides, the motion and ferment 
And great dilation of a patriot soul, 
Magnanimous, laboring for his country's cause. 
He thought the doctrines of the Nazarene 
Pernicious to the Jewish commonwealth. 
Not less than was his person base, his life 
Unseemly, and opprobrious his death. 
He saw, or deemed he saw, in what was taught 
From Jesus, only deep disparagement 
Disloyally implied of everything 
Nearest and dearest to the Hebrew heart. 
The gospel was high treason in Saul's eyes ; 
Suppose it but established in success, 
The temple then would be no more what erst 
It was, the daily sacrifice would cease, 
The holy places would with heathen feet 
Be trodden and profaned, the middle wall 
Of old partition between Jew and Greek 
Would topple undermined, the ritual law 
Of Moses would be obsolete and void, 
Common would be the oracles of God, 



68 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book III. 

To all divulged, peculiar once to Jews — 

Of Jewish name and nation what were left? 

Such thoughts, that seemed of liberal scope, were 

Saul's, 
Commingled, he not knowing, with some thoughts, 
Less noble, of his own aggrandizement. 

It came at length to pass that on a day 
The spacious temple-court is thronged with those 
Come from all quarters to Jerusalem, 
Or dwellers of the city, fain to hear 
Once more the preacher suddenly so famed. 
Present is Saul, but not as heretofore 
To hearken only and observe ; the hour 
Has struck when his own voice he must uplift, 
To make it heard abroad. 

He dreamed it not, 
But Rachel too was there, his sister. She 
Had, from sure signs observed, aright surmised 
That the ripe time to speak was come to Saul. 
In her glad loyalty, she doubted not 
That he, that day, would, out of a full mind, 
Pressed overfull with affluence from the heart, 
Pour forth a stream of generous eloquence — 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 69 

Stream, nay, slope torrent, steep sheer cataract, 

Of reason and of passion intermixed — 

For such she proudly felt her brother's power — 

Which down should rush upon his adversaries 

And carry them away as with a flood, 

Astonished, overwhelmed, and whirled afar; 

Rescued at least the ruins of the state ! 

So glorying in her high vicarious hope 

For Saul her brother, Rachel came that morn 

Betimes and chose her out a safe recess 

For easy audience, nigh, and yet retired. 

Between the pillars of a stately porch. 

Where she might see and not by him be seen. 

Thence Rachel watched all eagerly ; when now 
The multitude, expecting Stephen, saw 
A different man stand forth with beckoning hand 
As if to speak. The act and attitude 
Commanded audience, for a king of men 
Stood there, and a great silence fell on all. 
Some knew the face of the young Pharisee, 
These whispered round his name ; Saul's name and 

fame 
To all were known, and, ere the speaker spoke, 



^0 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book 111. 

Won him a deepening heed. 

Rachel the hush 
Felt with a secret sympathetic awe, 
And for one breath her beating heart stood still ; 
It leapt again to hear her brother s voice 
Pealing out bold in joyous sense of power. 
That noble voice, redounding like a surge 
Pushed by the tide, on swept before the wind, 
And all the ocean shouldering at its back, 
Which seeks out every inlet of the shore 
To brim it flush and level from the brine — 
Such Saul's voice swelled, as from a plenteous sea. 
And, wave on wave of pure elastic tone, 
Rejoicing ran through every gallery, 
And every echoing endless colonnade, 
And every far-retreating least recess 
Of building round about that temple-court, 
And filled the temple-court with silver sound — 
As thus, with haughty summons, he began : 
" Ye men of Israel, sojourners from far 
Or dwellers in Jerusalem, give heed. 
The lines are fallen to us in evil times : 
Opinions run abroad perverse and strange, 
Divergent from the faith our fathers held. 



Book III. SA UL AGAINST STEPHEN, 7 1 

A day is come, brethren, and fallen on us — 

On us, this living generation, big 

With promise, or with threat, of mighty doom. 

Which will ye have it ? Threat, or promise, which ? 

Yours is the choosing — choose ye may, ye must. 

" Abolish Moses, if ye will ; destroy 
The great traditions of your fathers ; say 
Abraham was naught, naught Isaac, Jacob, all 
The patriarchs, heroes, martyrs, prophets, kings; 
That Seed of Abraham naught, our nation's Hope, 
Foretold to be an universal King ; 
Make one wide blank and void, an emptied page, 
Of all the awful glories of our past — 
DeHverance out of Egypt, miracle 
On miracle wrought dreadfully for us 
Against our foes, path cloven through the sea, 
Jehovah in the pillar of cloud and fire, 
And host of Pharaoh mightily overthrown ; 
The law proclaimed on Sinai amid sound 
And light insufferable and angels nigh 
Attending; manna in the wilderness ; 
The rock that lived and moved and followed them, 
Our fathers, flowing water in the waste — 



^2 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book III. 

Obliterate at a stroke whatever sets 

The seal of God upon you as His own, 

And marks you different from the heathen round — 

Shekinah fixed between the cherubim, 

The vacant Holy of Holies filled with God, 

The morning and the evening sacrifice, 

Priest, altar, incense, choral hymn and psalm. 

Confused melodious noise of instruments 

Together sounding the high praise of God ; 

All this, with more I will not stay to tell, 

This temple itself with its magnificence, 

The hope of Him foreshown, the Messenger 

Of that eternal covenant wherein 

Your souls delight themselves. Who suddenly 

One day shall come unto His temple — blot, 

Expunge, erase, efface, consent to be 

No more a people, mix and merge yourselves 

With aliens, blood that in your veins flows pure 

All the long way one stream continuous down 

From Abraham called the friend of God — such blood 

Adulterate in the idolatrous, corrupt 

Pool of the Gentiles — men of Israel ! 

Or are ye men ? and are ye Israel? 

I stand in doubt of you — I stand in doubt 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN, 73 

Of kinsmen mine supposed that bide to hear 
Such things as seems that ye with pleasure hear ! 

" Say, know ye not they mean to take away 
Your place and name ? Are ye so blind ? Or are 
Ye only base poor creatures caring not 
Though knowing well ? Oft have ye seen the fat 
Of lambs upon the flaming altar fume 
One instant and in fume consume away ; 
So swiftly and so utterly shall pass, 
In vapor of smoke, the glorious excellency, 
The pomp, the pride, nay, but the being itself, 
Of this our nation from beneath the sun, 
Let once the hideous doctrine of a Christ 
Condemned and crucified usurp the place 
In Hebrew hearts of that undying hope 
We. cherish of Messiah yet to reign 
In power and glory more than Solomon's, 
From sunrise round to sunrise without end. 
And tread the Gentiles underneath our feet. " 

Indignant patriot spirit in the breast 
Of Rachel mixed itself with kindred pride 
And gladness for her brother gleaming so 
Before her in a kind of fulgurous scorn 



74 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

Which made his hearers quail while they admired; 
She could not stay a sudden gush of tears. 

But Saul's voice now took on a winning change, 
As, deprecating gently, thus he spoke : 
*' Forgive, my brethren, I have used hot words 
Freely and frankly, as great love may speak. 
But that I love you, trust you, hope of you 
The best, the noblest, when once more you are 
Yourselves, and feel the spirit of your past 
Come back, I had not cared to speak at all. 
I simply should have hung my head in shame, 
Worn sackcloth, gone with ashes on my brow, 
And sealed my hand upon my lips for you 
Forever. Love does not despair, but hopes 
Forever. And I love you far too well 
To dream despair of you. Bethink yourselves. 
My brethren ! Me, as if I were the voice 
Of your own ancient aspiration, hear. 
Bear with me, let me chide, say not that love 
Lured me to over-confidence of you. 

" Be patient now, my brethren, while I go, 
So briefly as I may, through argument 
That well might ask the leisure of long hours, 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 75 

To show from Scripture, from authority, 
From reason and from nature too not less, 
Why we should hold to our ancestral faith, 
And not the low fanatic creed admit 
Of such as preach for Christ one crucified. 
Be patient — I myself must patient be. 
Tutoring down my heart to let my tongue 
Speak calmly, as in doubtful argument, 
Where I am fixed and confident to scorn. " 

As when Gennesaret, in his circling hills. 
By wing of wind down swooping suddenly 
Is into tempest wrought that, to his depths 
Astir, he rouses, and on high his waves 
Uplifts like mountains snowy-capped with foam ; 
So, smitten with the vehement impact 
And passion of Saul's rash, abrupt 
Beginning, that mercurial multitude 
Had answered with commotion such as seemed 
Menace of instant act of violence: 
But, as when haply there succeeds a lull 
To tempest, then the waves of Galilee 
Sink from their swelling and smooth down to plane, 
Yet deep will roll awhile from shore to shore 



76 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

That long slow undulation following storm ; 

So, when, with wise self-recollection, Saul, 

In mid-career of passionate appeal, 

Stayed, and those gusts of stormy eloquence 

Impetuous poured no longer on the sea 

Of audience underneath him, but, instead, 

Proposed a sober task of argument, 

The surging throng surceased its turbulence, 

And settled from commotion into calm ; 

Yet so as still to feel the rock and sway 

Of central agitation at its heart. 

While thus that master of its moods went on : 

"What said Jehovah to the serpent vile 

Which tempted Eve ? Did he not speak of One, 

Offspring to her seduced. Who should arise 

To crush the offending head ? No hint, I trow. 

Of meekness and obedience unto death 

Found there at least, death on the shameful tree, 

Forsooth, to be the character and doom 

Of that foretokened Champion of his kind. 

That haughty Trampler upon Satan's head ! 

" To Abraham our father was of God 
Foretold, ' In thee shall all the families 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN, J J 

Of the earth be blessed. ' What blessing, pray, could 

come 
Abroad upon mankind through Abraham's seed, 
Messiah, should Messiah, Abraham's seed, 
Prove to be such as now is preached to you, 
A shame, a jest, a byword, a reproach, 
A hissing and a wagging of the head, 
A gazing-stock and mark for tongues shot out — 
Burlesque and travesty of our brave hopes 
And of our vaunts, shown vain, rife everywhere 
Among the nations, that erelong a prince 
Should from the stem of Jesse spring, to sway 
An universal sceptre through the world ? 

"Did God mock Abraham ? Did He mean, per- 
chance, 
That all the families of the earth should find 
Peculiar blessedness in triumphing 
Over that puissant nation promised him, 
His progeny, to match the stars of heaven 
For multitude, and be as on the shore 
The sands, innumerable ? Was such the sense 
Of promise and of prophecy ? Behooves, 
Then, we be glad and thankful, we, on whom 



7^ THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book III. 

The fullness of the time now falls, to be 

This blessing to the Gentiles. But ye halt, 

Beloved. Slack and slow seem ye to greet 

The honor fixed on you. Why, hearken ! Ye, 

Ye, out of all the generations, ye 

Fallen on the times of Jesus crucified, 

May count yourselves elect and called of God 

To bless the Gentiles, in affording them 

Unquenchable amusement to behold 

Your wretched plight and broken pride ! Now clap 

Your hands, ye chosen ! Let your mouth be filled 

With laughter, and your tongue with singing filled ! 

" Nay, sons of Abraham, nay. No mocking words 
Spake He who cannot lie, Lord God of truth 
And grace. He meant that Abraham's race should 

reign 
From sea to sea while sun and moon endure. 
And ever a blessing true it is to men 
To bend the neck beneath an equal yoke 
Of ruler strong and wise and just to rule. 
Then will at last the Gentiles blessed be 
In Abraham, when, from Abraham's loins derived 
Through David, God's Anointed shall begin, 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN • 79 

In David's city, His long government 

Of the wide world, and every heathen name 

Shall kiss the rod and own Messiah king. 

" Our father Jacob, touched with prophecy, 
Spake of a sceptre that should not depart 
From Judah until Shiloh came, to Whom 
The obedience of the peoples was to be ; 
A sceptre, symbol of authority 
And rule, law-giving attribute, resort 
Of subject nations speeding to a yoke — 
Such ever everywhere in Holy Writ 
The image and the character impressed 
On God's Messiah, hope of Israel. 

" What need I more ? Wherefore to ears like yours, 
Well used to hear them in the temple chants 
Resounded with responsive voice to voice, 
Rehearse those triumphs and antiphonies 
Wherein Jehovah Father to His Son 
Messiah speaks : * Ask Thou of Me, and I 
To Thee the heathen for inheritance 
Will give, and for possession the extreme 
Parts of the earth. Thou shalt with rod of iron 



8o THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book III. 

Break them, yea, shatter them shalt Thou in shards, 

Like a clay vessel from the potter s hand. 

Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be ye 

Instructed, judges of the earth. Kiss ye 

The Son, lest He be angry, and His wrath, 

Full soon to be enkindled, you devour. ' 

Tell me, which mood of prophecy is that. 

The meek or the heroic ? Craven he. 

Or king, to whom Jehovah deigns such speech. 

Concerning whom such counsel recommends 1 

" * Gird Thou upon Thy thigh Thy sword, O Thou 
Most Mighty,' — so once more the psalmist, rapt 
Prophetical as to a martial rage, 
Breaks forth, Jehovah to Messiah speaking — 
' Gird on Thy glory and Thy majesty ; 
And in Thy majesty ride prosperously. 
And Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. 
Sharp in the heart of the king's enemies 
Thine arrows are, whereby the peoples fall 
Beneath Thee.' Such Messiah is, a man 
Of war and captain of the host of God. 
Nay, now it mounts to a deific strain. 
The prophet exultation of the psalm : 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 8 1 

* Thy throne, O God,' it sings — advancing Him, 
Messiah, to the unequalled dignity 
And lonely glory of the one I AM, 
Audacious figure — close on blasphemy. 
Were it not God who speaks — to represent 
The dazzling splendors of Messiahship. 

" Let us erect our spirits from the dust, 
My brethren, and, as sons of God, nay, gods 
Pronounced — unless we grovel and below 
Our birthright due, unfilial and unfit, 
Sink self-depressed — let us, I pray you, rise, 
Buoyed upward from within by sense of worth 
Incapable to be extinguished, rise. 
Found equal to the will of God for us. 
And know the true Messiah when He comes. 
Be sure that when He comes. His high degree 
Will shine illustrious, like the sun in heaven, 
Not feebly flicker for your fishermen 
From Galilee to point it out to you 
With their illiterate * Lo, here !' " Lo, there ! ' '* 

At this increasing burst of scorn from Saul, 
Exultant like the paean and the cry 



82 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book 111. 

That rises through the palpitating air 
When storming warriors take the citadel, 
Once more from Rachel's fix^d eyes the tears 
Of sympathetic exultation flowed — 
The sister with the brother, as in strife 
Before the battle striving equally, 
Now equally in triumph triumphing. 

But Saul, his triumph, felt to be secure, 
Securer still will make with new appeal : 
" If so, as we have seen, the Scriptures trend, 
Not less the current of tradition too — 
No counter-current, eddy none — one stress. 
Steady and full, from Adam down to you. 
Runs strong the self-same way. Out of the past 
What voice is heard in contradiction ? None. 

" Turn round and ask the present ; you shall hear 
One answer still the same from every mouth 
Of scribe or master versed in Holy Writ. 
Tradition and authority in this 
Agree with Scripture, teaching to await 
For our deliverer an anointed kmg. 
What ruler of our people has believed 
In Jesus, him of Nazareth, Joseph's son, 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 83 

As Christ of God ? If any, then some soul 

Self-judged unworthy of his rulership, 

Secret disciple, shunning to avow 

His faith, and justly therefore counted naught — 

Ruler in name, in nature rather slave. 

" And now I bid you look within your breast 
And answer, Does not your own heart rebel 
Against the gospel of the Nazarene? 
* Gospel, * forsooth ! Has God, who made your heart, 
Provided you for gospel what your heart 
Rejects with loathing ? Likely seems it, pray, 
Becoming, fit, that He Who, on the mount 
Of Sinai once the law promulging, there 
Displayed His glory more than mortal eye 
Could bear to look upon or ear to hear — 
Who in the temple hid behind the veil 
Shekinah blazed between the cherubim — 
Nay, tell me, seems it tolerable even 
To you, that your Jehovah God should choose. 
Lover of splendor as He is, and power, 
To represent Himself among mankind 
Not merely naked of magnificence. 
But outright squalid in the mean estate 



84 THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book III. 

And person of a carpenter, to die 

At last apparent felon crucified ? 

Reason and nature outraged cry aloud, 

* For shame ! For shame ! ' at blasphemy like this. " 

A strange ungentle impulse moved the heart 
Of Rachel to a mood like mutiny. 
And almost she "For shame !" herself cried out 
In echo to her brother's vehemence; 
While murmur as of wind rousing to storm 
Ran through the assembly at such words from Saul, 
The passion of the speaker so prevailed 
To stir responsive passion in their breasts. 
This Saul perceiving said, in scornful pride, 
Fallaciously foretasting triumph won : 
" Ye men of Israel, gladly I perceive 
Some embers of the ancient fire remain, 
If smouldering, not extinguished, in your breasts. 
I will not further chafe your noble rage. 
You are, if I mistake not, now prepared 
To hear more safely, if less patiently, 
The eloquence I keep you from too long. 
Let me bespeak for Stephen your best heed. " 

And Saul, as if in gesture of surcease, 



Book III. SAUL AGAINST STEPHEN. 85 

A pace retiring, waved around his hand 
Toward Stephen, opposite not far, the while 
His nostril he dispread, and mobile lip 
Curled, in the height of contumelious scorn ; 
And Rachel, where she stood, unconsciously, 
The transport of her sympathy was such. 
Repeated with her features what she saw. 



BOOK IV. 

STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 



Stephen, following Saul, turns the tide of feeling over- 
whelmingly in the opposite direction. Saul, however, but he 
almost alone — for even his sister Rachel has been converted 
— stands out defiant against the manifest power of God, 
Shimei appears as an auditor watching with sinister mo- 
tive the course of the controversy. 



STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 

The tumult grew a tempest when Saul ceased : 
No single voice of mortal man might hope, 
Though clear like clarion and like trumpet loud, 
To Hve in that possessed demoniac sea 
Of vast vociferation whelming all, 
Or ride the surges of the wild uproar. 
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thy mad mind 
So suddenly was soothed ? Did ' Peace, be still ! ' 
Dropping, an unction from the Holy One, 
Softly as erst on stormy Galilee, 
Wide overspread the summits of the waves 
And sway their swelling down to glassy calm ? 
Stephen stood forth to speak, and all was still. 

Before he spoke, already Rachel felt 
A different power of silence there, and sense, 
Within, other than sympathetic awe; 
This felt she, though she knew it not, nor dreamed 
It was the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven ! 



90 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IV. 

'' Brethren" — so Stephen spoke, beyond his wont 
Now, under awe of grave occasion, calmed 
From God with power — ''God's thoughts are not 

our thoughts, 
Neither our ways Flis ways; for as the heavens 
Are than the earth more high, so than our ways 
More high are His, and His thoughts than our thoughts. 
Our valued wisdom folly is to God 
Full oft ; then most, when folly seems to us 
God's wisdom. Have ye yet to learn that God 
Rejoices to confound the vain conceit 
Of man ? The Scriptures, then, search ye with eyes 
Blinded so thick ? It is Isaiah's word : 
* Jehovah, yea, hath poured upon you all 
The spirit of deep sleep, and hath your eyes, 
Those prophets of the soul that might be, closed. 
Also your heads, meant to be seers, hath veiled ; 
And vision all is now to you become 
Even as the words of a shut book and sealed. 
Therefore Jehovah saith. For that this people 
Draw nigh to Me in worship with their mouth. 
But have their heart removed from Me afar, 
While all their fear of Me is empty form 
Enjoined of men, and idly learned by rote — 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 91 

Behold, a thing of wonder will I do 
Among this people, wonder passing thought, 
And perish shall the wisdom of their wise 
And prudence of their prudent come to nought ! ' 

" Brethren, that was man's wisdom which just now 
Ye heard, and were well pleased to hear, from Saui. 
Hearken again, and hear what God will speak. " 

At the first word that fell from Stephen's lips, 
An overshadowing of the Holy Ghost 
Hung like a heaven above the multitude ; 
With every word that followed, slow and full. 
That awful cope seemed ever hovering down 
Impendent nearer, as when, fold to fold, 
Droops lower and lower a dark and thunderous sky. 
The speaker used no arts of oratory ; 
Only a still small voice, not wholly his, 
Nor wholly human, issuing from his lips. 
Only a voice, but eloquence was shamed. 
And Stephen thus his theme premised pursues : 
" Rightly and wrongly, both at once, have ye 
This day been taught of God's Messiah ; King 
He is, as Saul has said, but in a sense, 
And with a highth and depth and length and breadth 



92 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book IV 

And reach immense of meaning, that nor Saul, 

Nor ye, nor any by the Holy Ghost 

Untaught, have yet conceived. Not of this world 

His kingdom is. The pageant and the pomp, 

State visible, and splendor to the eye, 

Are of this world that vanishes away. 

And of the princes of this world that come 

To naught. His glory whose the kingdom is 

Whereof I speak, no eye hath seen, no eye 

Can see. That vision is for naked soul. 

" The lordship and authority which craves 
Obeisance of the knee, the lip, the hand, 
And the neck breaks to an unwelcome yoke. 
But traitor leaves the hidden heart within, 
Rebel the will insurgent, infidel 
The mind, the critic reason dissident. 
And violated conscience enemy — 
Such rule is but the hollow show of rule, 
A husk of vain pretence, the kernel gone. 

" No earthly kingdom such, Messiah's is, 
Of nations hating and yet serving Him — 
Trampled into the dust beneath His feet. 
And either cringing or else gnashing rage. 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL, 93 

A kingdom here on earth of heaven to found, 

From heaven to earth God's true Messiah comes ; 

A kingdom built of meek and lowly hearts 

By Monarch meek and lowly to be ruled ; 

A world-wide kingdom and a time-long reign. 

This kingdom new of heaven on earth commenced 

Will gather Jew and Gentile both in one, 

Whereso, of high or low, of rich or poor. 

Heart ready to receive it shall be found, 

In time or clime however hence afar. 

For hear Him speak, the High and Lofty One 

Who maketh His abode eternity : 

' Lo, in the high and holy place dwell I, 

Likewise with him of meek and contrite mind.' 

" In those words were foreshown the things which 
are. 
Brethren, and kingdom which we preach to you, 
Messiah here indeed, His reign begun. 
Invisible but glorious, on the earth. 
He that hath ears to hear, lo, let him hear, 
And hail the one right Ruler come at last ; 
Who rules not nations, masses of mankind 
Only, with indiscriminate wide sway 



94 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book IV. 

Imperfect though to view magnificent, 
By many an individual will unfelt ; 
But seeks His subjects singly, soul by soul, 
And over each, through all within him, reigns. 
Jew must with Gentile, heart by heart, submit 
To own Messiah thus his Lord and King, 
Throning Him sovereign in the realm of self, 
The empire of a humble, contrite mind. 

" No other rule is real than rule like this, 
The true Messiah's rule, v/hich well within 
The flying scouts and outposts of the man, 
Wins to the midmost seat and citadel 
Of being, where the soul itself resides. 
And tames the master captive to its thrall. 
Then sings the soul unto herself and says, 
' Bless thou, Jehovah, O my soul, and all 
That is within me, bless His holy name! ' 
Filled is the hidden part with melody. 
For joyfully the reason then consents, 
The mind is full of light to see, and says 
' Amen ! ' the will resolves the opposite 
Of its old self, won by the heart, which, more 
Than mere obedience, loves; conscience the while 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 95 

Delightedly infusing all delight, 
And Holy Spirit breathing benison. 

" Such subjugation is a state of peace ; 
But peace, stagnation not, nor death. You live 
And move and have your being evermore 
Fresher and deeper, purer and more full, 
Drawn in an ether and an element 
Instinct and vivid with God. The appetites 
Are subject servitors to will, the will 
Hearkens to reason and regards its voice — 
Reason which is the will of Him who reigns, 
Your reason and His will insensibly 
Blending to grow incorporate in one. 
Such is the kingdom of the Christ of God. 
You easily miss it — for it cometh not 
With observation ; you must look within 
To find it — pray that you may find it so." 

A mien of something more than majesty 
In Stephen as he spoke, transfiguring him ; 
Conscious authority loftier than pride ; 
Deep calm which made intensity seem weak ; 
Slow weight more insupportable than speed ; 
Passion so pure that its effect was peace, 



96 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book IV. 

Beatifying his face ; betokened power 

Beneath him that supported him, behind 

Him that impelled, above him and within 

That steadied him immovable, supplied 

As from a fountain of omnipotence ; 

An air breathed round him of prophetic rapt 

Solemnity oppressive beyond words 

And dread communication from the throne, 

Moved near, of the Most High, which only not 

Thundered and lightened, as from the touched top 

Of Sinai once in witness of the law — 

Such might, not Stephen's, wrought with Stephen 

there 
And laid his hearers subject at his feet 

Saul saw the grasp secure that he had laid 
Upon his brethren's minds and hearts — to hold, 
He proudly, confidently deemed, against 
Whatever counter force of eloquence — 
This tenure his he saw relaxed, dissolved. 
Evanished, as it had never been. 
Perplexed, astonished, but impenetrable, 
Though dashed and damped in spirit and in hope, 
Angry he stood, recoiled upon himself. 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 97 

But Rachel had a different history. 
She felt her inmost conscience searched and known ; 
Sharper than any sword of double edge, 
The Word of God through Stephen pierced her heart, 
And there asunder clove her self and self. 
She heeded Stephen's warning words ; she looked 
Within, she pressed her hand upon her heart 
And prayed, " O God, my God, my fathers' God, 
Thy kingdom — grant that /may find it here ! " 
So praying she listened while farther Stephen spoke : 
" That such a Ruler should be such as He 
Whom we proclaim, the Man of Nazareth, 
The Carpenter, the Man of Calvary, 
Affronts your reason, tempts to disbelief — 
Doubtless; but all the more shown absolute 
His sovereignty, transcendent, passing quite 
Limit of precedent or parallel, 
As nothing in Him outwardly appears 
To soothe your pride in yielding to His claim. 
Always the more offended pride rebels, 
Is proved his triumph greater who subdues. 
Deep is our human heart, and versatile 
Exceedingly, ingenious past our ken. 
Inventive of contrivances to save 



98 THE EPIC OE SA UL. Book IV. 

Fond pride from hurt. But here is no escape ; 

Pride must be hurt and bleed, unsalved her wounds. 

She may not conquer crouching, she must crouch 

Conquered ; nor only so, she must be glad 

To be the conquered, not the conqueror ; 

Thus deeply must the heart abjure itself, 

Thus deeply own the mastership of Christ. 

Christ will not practise on your self-conceit 

And lure you to obey illusively. 

Obedience is not obedience 

Save as, obeying, you love, loving, obey — 

The chief of all obediences, love. " 

Such serene counter to his own superb 
Disdain of Jesus wrought on Saul effect 
Diverse from that meanwhile in Rachel wrought. 
She yielded to exchange her standing-ground, 
And ceased to hold her centre in herself. 
Centred in God, she all things new beheld 
Translated by the mighty parallax. 
Open she threw the portals of her soul 
And gave the keys up to her new-found King. 

But Saul more stubbornly than ever clamped 
His feet to keep them standing where they stood. 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL, 99 

Haughty, erect, rebuffing — he alone — 

He still stared on at Stephen, who Saul's scorn 

Felt subtly like a fierce oppugnant force 

Resistlessly attractive to his aim, 

As, suddenly soon borne into a swift 

Involuntary swerving of his speech — 

Himself, with Saul, surprising — he went on : 

" Such lord, requiring such obedience, 

In Him of Nazareth, a man approved 

Of God by many mighty works through Him 

Among you done, this day I preach to you, 

My brethren all — my brother Saul, to thee !" 

Therewith full round on Saul the speaker turned ; 
That self-same instant, the seraphic sheen 
Brightened to dazzling upon Stephen's face ; 
Saul standing there, transfixed to listen, blenched, 
As if a lightning-flash had blinded him. 
Then, prophet-wise, like Nathan come before 
King David sinner, Stephen, his right hand 
And fixed forefinger flickering forth at Saul, 
An intense moment centred upon him. 
Sole, the converging ardors of his speech — 
As who, with lens of cunning convex, draws 



lOO THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IV. 

Into one focus all the solar rays 
Collected to engender burning heat. 

Rachel, who saw Saul blench, and full well knew 
What pangs on pangs his pride could force him bear — • 
He smiling blithely while he inly bled — 
Watched, with a heart divided in sore pain 
Between the sister's pity of his case 
And sympathy against him for his sake, 
As Stephen thus his speech to Saul addressed : 
" Yea, to thee, Saul my brother, in thy flush 
And prime of youth and youthful hope, thy joy, 
Thy pride, of all-accomplished intellect, 
And sense of self-sufficing righteousness — 
To thee, thou pupil of Gamaliel, thee. 
Thou Hebrew of the Hebrews, Pharisee, 
Against the gust and fury of thy zeal, 
And in the teeth of thy repellent scorn, 
Jesus the crucified I preach thy lord. 
Blindly with bitter hate thou ragest now 
Against Him ; but hereafter, and not long 
Hereafter, thou, despite, shalt lie prostrate 
Before Him and beneath Him in the dust, 
Astonished with His glory sudden shown 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. lOl 

Beyond thy power with open eye to see. 

Lo, by the Holy Spirit bidden, I 

This day plant pricks for thee to kick against. 

Cruel shall be the torture in thy breast, 

And unto cruel deeds thou didst not dream 

The torture in thy breast will madden thee — 

The anguish of a mind at strife with good, 

A will self-blinded not to cease from sin. 

Nevertheless at length I see thee mild — 

Broken thy pride, thy wisdom brought to naught, 

To thyself hateful thy self righteousness. 

Worshipping at His feet whom late thou didst 

Persecute in His members, persecute 

In me. Lo, with an everlasting love 

I long for thee, O Saul, and draw thee, love 

Born of that love wherewith the Lord loved me 

And gave Himself for me to bitter death. " 

Rachel her prayer and love and longing joins. 
With tears, to Stephen s, for her brother, who, 
Conscious of many eyes upon him fixed. 
Far other thought, the while, and feeling, broods. 

As captain, on the foremost imminent edge 
Of battle, leading there a storming van 



I02 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book IV. 

Of soldiers in some perilous attack, 

Pregnant with fate to empire, if he feel 

Pierce to a vital part within his frame 

Wound of invisible missile from the foe, 

Will hide his deadly hurt with mask of smile, 

That he damp not his followers' gallant cheer ; 

Thus, though with motive other, chiefly pride, 

Saul, rallying sharply from that first surprise. 

Sternly shut up within his secret breast 

A poignant pang conceived from Stephen's words, 

Resentment fated to bear bitter fruit, 

But melt at last in gracious shame and tears. 

With fixed look impassible, he gazed 
At Stephen, while, in altered phase, that pure 
Eftlilgence of apostleship burned on : 
" Nor, brethren, let this word of mine become 
Scandal before your feet to stumble you 
Headlong to ruin — ' gave Himself for me 
To bitter death ' — implying it the Christ's 
To suffer death in sacrifice for sin. 
This is that thing of wonder prophesied, 
Confounding to the wisdom of the wise; 
A suffering Saviour, a Messiah shamed. 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL, 103 

Monarch arrayed in purple robes of scorn, 
With diadem of thorns pressed on His brow, 
And in His hand for sceptre thrust a reed — 
The Lord of hfe and glory crucified ! 

" Dim saw perhaps our father Abraham this, 
Through symbol and through prophecy contained 
In smoking furnace and in blazing torch 
Beheld, that evening, when the sun went down 
And it was dark. The smoking furnace meant 
The mystery of the Messiah's shame 
To go before His glory typified 
In the clear shining of the torch ablaze. 

" Of the same mystery of agony 
In sorrow, shame, and death, forerunning dark 
The bright and brightening sequel without end 
Of the Messiah's work, Isaiah spake, 
When he foresaw His coming day from far. 
The eagle vision of that seer was dimmed 
With tears, like Jeremiah's, to behold 
What he beheld — Messiah's visage so 
Marred more than any man's, and so His form 
More than befell the sons of men. He read, 
Within the mirror of his prophecy. 



I04 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IV. 

Astonishment depicted in the eyes 

Of many — in the eyes of which of you, 

My brethren ? — at a spectacle so strange. 

The melancholy prophet saw a gloom 

Of unbelief darken the world. 'What soul/ 

Wails he, ' is found to credit our report ? 

To whom has been revealed Jehovah's arm 

In such a wise outstretched to save ? ' Heart-sick 

At what, too clearly for his peace, he sees, 

Isaiah, turning from his vision, cries 

In pain — consider, brethren, whether ye 

Unwittingly fulfil what he portrays ! — 

* He was despised, rejected was of men, 

A man of sorrows and acquainted well 

With grief; as one from whom men hide their face, 

Despised was He, and we esteemed Him not. ' 

'' Now our own gospel hear Isaiah preach. 
The good news that such sufferings borne by Him, 
Messiah, were for you, for us, for all : 
' Surely our griefs they were Messiah bore, 
He carried sorrows that were due to us. 
Yet we, alas, of Him as stricken thought, 
Smitten of God, and for affliction marked!' 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL, 1 05 

" Would God, my brethren, ye who hear these 
things, 
This day, were minded as the prophet was 
Who thus from God reported them to you ! 
He but foresaw them, and he saw them ; ye 
Saw them, and did not see ! And yet, even yet, 
Look back, as forward he ; lo, touch your eyes 
With eyesalve that ye be not bhnd, but see ! 
See, with Isaiah, how Messiah was 
* Wounded for your transgressions, bruised so sore 
For your iniquities, how chastisement 
On Him was laid that peace should bring to you, 
How stripes whereby He bled to you were health. ' 

" Meekly and thankfully Isaiah sinks 
Himself, one drop, into the human sea, 
And says ' we,' ' our,' and ' us ' — do ye the same. 

brethren, if this day ye hear His voice, 
A whisper only in your ear from heaven, 

1 pray you, harden not your heart. Confess 
Your fault, and say with your own prophet, * We, 
All we, like sheep, have gone astray, astray, 

And God on Him hath laid the sin of all.'" 

At such expostulation and appeal 



Io6 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IV. 

Ineffable, found hidden in the words 

Of prophecy, Rachel her heart felt fail 

Into a pathos of repentance sweet 

With love and soft sense of forgiveness, bought 

For her at cost so dear ! — and she dissolved 

In sobs and tears of sorrow exquisite, 

Better than joy, and uncontrollable. 

The mastership of Jesus now to her 

Merged in the sweetness of His saviorship ; 

The duty of obedience to a Lord 

All taken up, transfigured, glorified, 

In the transcendent privilege of love. 

Never such grief in joy, such joy in grief, 

Was hers before — for self was wholly slain 

And her whole life grew love unutterable. 

Yet longed she, with a hope that half was pain, 
For Saul, while Stephen brokenly went on : 
" O ye to whom for the last time I speak. 
My heart is large for you, it breaks for you, 
And melts to tears within me while I plead. 
I pray you, I beseech you, in Christ's stead. 
Be reconciled to God. Hearken this once 
And answer, Were it set your task, in choice 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. \0^ 

Few words to frame the image and the lot 

Of Jesus whom ye slew, how otherwise 

More fitly could ye do it than was done 

Aforetime by Isaiah when he wrote 

Prophetically thus of Christ to be : 

* Oppressed He was, yet He abased Himself 

And opened not His mouth ; even as a lamb 

Led to the slaughter, as a sheep before 

Her shearers speechless, so He opened not 

His mouth. His grave they with the wicked made, 

And with the rich they laid Him in His death.' 

Say, brethren, was not Jesus very Christ .? 

" But, that ye err not, Messianic woe 
Is not the end ; a glorious change succeeds. 
Isaiah chanted it in sequel glad 
And contrast of the sorrow-laden strain 
That mourned Messiah's sufferings ; hear the song: 
'When thou, Jehovah, shalt His soul have made 
An offering for sin, Messiah then 
The endless issue of His pain shall see; 
Still on and on He shall His days prolong, 
And in His hand the pleasure of the Lord 
Shall prosper ; of the travail of His soul 



Io8 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book IV. 

He shall see fruit and shall be satisfied.' 
So, with rejoicing too serenely full 
For exultation, sang Isaiah then 
Of Messianic glory following shame. 

"And now, concerning Jesus whom ye slew, 
Know, brethren, that He burst the bands of death, 
Which could not hold the Lord of life in thrall. 
Know that He, having risen, rose again, 
Ascending far above all height, and led 
Captive captivity ; attended so 
With retinue of deliverance numberless. 
He entered heaven a Conqueror and a King ; 
Before Him lifted up their heads the gates, 
The everlasting doors admitted Him. 
There sits He now associate by the side 
Of His Almighty Father, Lord of all. 
For to Him every knee shall bow, in heaven. 
On earth, and every tongue confess that He, 
Jesus, is Lord ; Jehovah wills it so. 

" Fall, brethren, I adjure you, haste to fall 
Betimes upon this stone and bruise your pride ; 
Wait but too long, this stone will fall on you : 
Not then your pride, but you, not bruised will be, 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SAUL. 109 

But ground to undistinguishable dust." 

So Stephen spoke ; and ceased, as loth to cease. 

The moments of his speaking had been like 
A slow and dreadful imminence of storm. 
With those august and awful opening words 
Of his, which were not his, but God's, it was 
As when an altered elemental mood 
Usurps the atmosphere ; the winds are laid. 
Clouds gather, mass to mass, anon perchance 
Roll back, disclosing spaces of clear sky, 
But close again, deeper and darker, full 
Of thunder, silent yet, of lightning, leashed 
From leaping forth, but watchful for its prey. 
Such had been Stephen's speaking, boded storm ; 
His ceasing was the tempest burst at last — 
A silent tempest, silent and unseen, 
Rending the elements of the world of soul ! 

Meanwhile the angels in attendance there, 
Watching with eyes that see the invisible 
Things of the spirit of man within his breast, 
The posture and behavior of the mind, 
Had seen exhibited amidst that late 



no THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book IV. 

Motionless multitude of souls suspense 
With supernatural awe, a spectacle 
Of consternation and precipitate flight 
To covert, such as sometimes is beheld 
In nature, when a mighty tempest lowers, 
And man, beast, bird, each conscious living thing, 
Shuddering, hies to hiding from the wrack. 
With wild inaudible outcry heard in heaven. 
That shattered congregation, soul by soul, 
Each soul its several way, fled, to find shroud 
From spiritual tempest hurtling on the head, 
Intolerably, hailstones and coals of fire. 

But one excepted spirit stood aloof. 
Scorning to join the fellowship of flight. 
Like a tall pine by whirlwind lonely left 
Upon his mountain, forest abject round. 
This man dared lift, though sole, a helmless brow 
Of stubborn hardihood to take the storm. 
Others, dismayed, might flee to refuge ; Saul, 
Not undismayed, fronted the wrath of God. 

Shimei alone there neither stood nor fell ; 
By habit grovelHng, on his belly prone, 
Already prostrate he had thither come. 



Book IV. STEPHEN AGAINST SA UL, III 

Incapable of awe from good inspired, 

He, abject, but without humility, 

Ever, by force of reptile nature, crawled ; 

And now had crawled, as, dusty demon's-heart 

And vitreous eye of basilisk, he still — 

With equal, though with different, enmity, 

Devising death for Stephen in his mind. 

And studying slow prolonged revenge for Saul — 

Watched all, whatever chanced to either there ; 

But most, malignantly delighted, watched 

Deepen the settled shadow on Saul's face 

Cast from the darkness of his inner mood. 



BOOK V. 

SAUL AND SHIMEl. 



Saul, sullen, gloomy, and chagrined, over his discomfiture 
recently experienced, is visited, in his self-imposed seclusion 
at home, by Shimei, who, always by nature antipathetic to 
Saul, hates him virulently now for the affront from him 
received publicly in the late council. Shimei exasperates 
Saul with sneering, pretended sympathy for him over his 
defeat at Stephen's hands ; at the same time disclosing the 
plot he has himself concocted, involving subornation of per- 
jury, with alleged connivance on the part of the Sanhedrim 
in general, for the stoning of Stephen. Shimei gone, Saul, in 
the open court of his dwelling, sits solitary, brooding in the 
depths of dejection over the fallen state of his fortunes. 



SAUL AND SHIMEI. 

As if one, from some poise of prospect high, 
Should overlook below a plain outspread 
And see a bright embattled host, in close 
Array of antique chivalry, supposed 
Invincible, advancing, panoplied. 
Horseman and horse, in steel, and with delight 
Of battle pricked to speed, he — while that host, 
Swift, like one man, across the field of war, 
With pennons gay astream upon the wind, 
And arms and armor flashing in the sun. 
Moved to the sound of martial music brave — 
Might ask, " What strength set counter could with- 
stand 
The multiplied momentum of such blow ? " 
And yet, as, let a rock-built citadel 
Upspring before them in their conquering way, 
And, through embrasures in the frowning wall, 
Let enginery of carnage new and strange, 



Il6 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book V. 

Vomiting smoke and flame from hellish mouths — 

Let cannon, with their noise like thunder, belch, 

Volleying, their bolts like thunderbolts amain 

Among those gallant columns, then would be 

Amazement seen, and ruinous overthrow ; 

So, late, to Saul's superbly confident 

Assay of onset all seemed nigh to yield, 

Till that the wisdom of the Holy Ghost, 

Through Stephen speaking, made the utmost might 

Of eloquence ridiculous and vain, 

So was the duel all unequal, joined 

By Saul with Stephen on that fateful day. 

Though not ill matched the champions' native force 

And spirit, and not far from even their skill, 

Equipment disparate of weaponry — 

Human against Divine, infinite odds ! — 

Made the conclusion of the strife foregone. 

Had mortal prowess against prowess been 

Between those twain the naked issue tried, 

Saul, with his sanguine dash of onset, might 

Perchance have won the day — through sheer surprise 

Of sudden and impetuous movement swift 

Beyond the other's readiness to oppose 

An instantaneous rally of quick thought 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MET, \\^ 

And lightning-like alertness of stanch will 
Mustering and mastering his collected might. 
But the event and fortune of that hour 
Resolved no doubt which combatant excelled 
In wit or will or strength or exercise. 
Stephen was fortressed round impregnably, 
Saul stood in open field obvious to wound ; 
Saul wielded weapons of the present world, 
Celestial weapons furnished Stephen — nay, 
Weapon himself, the Almighty wielded him. 

Saul knew himself defeated, overwhelmed. 
By how much he had purposed in his heart, 
And buoyantly expected, beyond doubt 
Or possible peradventure, to prevail, 
More than prevail, triumph, abound, redound, 
And overflow, with ample surplusage 
Of prosperous fortune far transcending all 
Public conjecture of his hoped success ; 
By so much now he found himself instead 
Buried beneath discomfiture immense 
And boundless inundation of defeat. 
For multitudes of new believers won 
To Stephen's side from Saul's thronged to the Way, 



Il8 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book V. 

Storming the kingdom of heaven with violence. 

It was a nation hastening to be born, 

Like Israel out of Egypt, in a day. 

As Israel out of Egypt were baptized 

To Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 

So Israel out of Israel Saul now saw 

Baptized obedient into Jesus' name. 

Dissolving round about him seemed to Saul 

The earth itself with its inhabitants, 

And, to bear up the pillars of it, he 

A broken reed that could not stand alone ! 

But, while thus worsted Saul forlornly felt 
Himself, he by whom worsted missed to know. 
His challenge was to Stephen ; how should he 
Guess that in Stephen God would answer him ? 
Unconsciously with God at enmity, 
But with God's servant Stephen consciously, 
Saul chafed and raged in proud and blindfold hate ; 
Half yet, the while, despising too himself, 
Detected hating thus, by his own heart 
Detected hating, his antagonist. 
For the sole blame of visiting on him 
The fortune he had purposed to inflict. 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MET. II9 

Saul in such mood of rancor and remorse 
Commingled — both unhappy sentiments 
Still mutually exasperating each 
The other — Shimei came to him. 

Now Saul 
And Shimei were two opposites intense 
In nature, never toward each other drawn, 
But violently ever sent asunder ; 
Yet chiefly by repulsion lodged in Saul, 
Spurning off Shimei, as the good the evil ; 
For Saul instinctively was noble, frank, 
And true, as Shimei instinctively 
Was false, profound in guile, to base inclined. 
But strangely, since that council wherein Saul 
Fulmined his shame on Shimei's proffer vile, 
Shimei had felt the other's scorn of him 
A force importunate to tempt him nigh — 
Perverse attraction in repulsion found ! — 
As evil ever struggles toward the good, 
Not to be leavened with virtue issuing thence, 
But Jeaven instead to likeness with itself. 
So Shimei came to Saul, as knowing Saul 
Spurned him avaunt with loathing ; in degree 
Attracted as he was intensely spurned. 



I20 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

He fain would feast his malice on the pride, 

Seen writhing, fain would make it writhe the more, 

Of Saul in his discomfiture. 

With mien 
Demure of hypocritic sympathy. 
The nauseating vehicle of sneer, 
Malignly studied to exacerbate 
The galled and angry feeling in Saul's mind, 
He thus addressed that haughty Pharisee : 
" The outcome of your eflfort, brother Saul, 
To vindicate the cause of truth and God — 
And therewithal justly advance somewhat 
Your individual profit and esteem 
As rising bulwark of the Jewish state. 
Whereby so much the better you might hope 
Hereafter to promote the general weal — 
This spirited attempt, I say, of yours 
Has in its issue disappointed you. 
You, and your friends no less, who, all of us, 
Together with yourself, refused to dream 
Aught but the most felicitous event 
To enterprise with so much stateHness 
Of dignity impressively announced 
By you, and show of lofty confidence. 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MEL 121 

By the way, Saul, the grand air suits your style 

Astonishingly well ; I should advise 

Your cultivation of it. Why, at times. 

When you display that absolutely frank 

And unaffected lack of modesty 

Which marks you, really, now, the effect on me, 

Even me, is almost irresistible ; 

I find myself well-nigh imposed upon 

To call it an effect of majesty. 

" But, to sustain the impression, Saul, it needs, 
Quite needs, that you somehow contrive to shun 
These awkward misadventures ; the grand air 
Is less impressive in a man well known 
To have made a bad miscarriage, such as yours. 
For in fact you — with sincere pain I say it — 
But served to Stephen as a sort of foil 
To set his talent off and heighten it. 
You must yourself feel this to be the case ; 
For never since that windy Pentecost 
In which we thought we saw the top and turn 
To this delirium of delusion touched, 
Never, I say, till now were seen so many 
New perverts to the Nazarene as seems 



122 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

You two, between you, you and Stephen, Saul, 

Managed, that memorable day, to make. 

It is a pity, and I grieve with you. 

Still, Saul, let us consider that your case, 

Undoubtedly unfortunate, presents 

This one alleviating circumstance, 

At least, that your defeat demonstrates past 

Gainsaying what an arduous attempt 

Yours was, and thereby glorifies the more 

That admirable headiness of yours 

Which egged you on to venture unadvised. 

For my own part, I like prodigiously 

To see your young man overflow with spirit ; 

Age will bring wisdom fast enough ; but spirit, 

Like yours, Saul, comes, when come it does at all, 

Born with the man. Never regret that you 

Dared nobly ; rather hug yourself for that 

With pride ; pride greater, since, through proof, av/are 

You really dared more nobly than you knew. 

" Some increment too of wisdom you have won 
From your experience ; not to be despised, 
Though ornament rather of age than youth. 
I may presume you now less indisposed 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MEL 1 23 

Than late you were, to reinforce, support. 
And supplement mere obstinacy — fine, 
Of course, as I have said, yet attribute 
Common to man with beast — by counsel ripe 
And scheme of well-considered policy. 
Adapted to secure your end with ease. 
Economy of effort well befits 
Man, the express image and counterpart 
Of God, who always works with parsimony, 
Compassing greatest ends with smallest means, 
To waste no particle of omnipotence. 

" Count now that you have rendered plain enough 
What single-eyed, straightforward stubbornness 
Can, and cannot, effect in this behalf; 
So much is gained ; now be our conscience clear 
To cast about and find some other means. 
Than mere main strength in public controversy, 
Of dealing with these raw recalcitrants. 
They lacked the grace to be discomfited 
In honorable combat fairly joined, 
Let them now look to it how much their gross 
Effrontery in overthrowing you 
Shall profit them at last. I have a scheme " — 



1 24 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book V. 

^' Your scheme," — so, from the depths of his chagrin 
And anguish at the contact of the man, 
Spoke Saul, unvvilHng longer to endure 
The friction and abrasion of his words — 
" Your scheme, whatever it may be, cannot 
Concern my knowing ; nothing you should plan 
Were likely to conciliate in me 
Either my judgment, or my taste, or please 
My sense of what becoming is and right. 
I pray you spare yourself the pains to unfold 
Further to me your thought ; your work were waste. ' 

But Shimei, naught abashed, nay, rather more 
Set on, imagining that he touched in Saul 
The quick of suffering sensibility 
Replied : 

" Yea, brother Saul, I did not fail 
In our late session to observe what you 
Hinted of your unreadiness to accord 
Your valuable support to my advice, 
Advanced on that occasion loyally 
However far outrunning what the most 
Were then prepared frankly to act upon. 
We weaker, Saul, who may not hope to be 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MEL 12$ 

Athletes like you, whose sole resource must lie 
In studying more profoundly than the rest, 
Are liable to be misunderstood 
Not seldom, when, through meditation deep 
And painful, we arrive to see somewhat 
Beyond the common, and propound advice 
Startling, because some stages in advance 
Of the conclusions less laborious minds 
Reach and stop at contented — for a while, 
But which mere halting-places on the road 
Prove in the end, and not the final goal. 
You probably remember, when I told 
The council that some good judicious guile 
Was what was needed, not one voice spoke up 
To second my suggestion. Very well. 
The lagging rear of wisdom has since then 
Moved bravely up to step with me, and now 
We walk along abreast harmoniously 
Upon the very road I pointed out ; 
'Guile' is the word with all the Sanhedrim. 

" But stay, you may perhaps not be apprised 
Exactly of the current state of things — 
You have kept yourself, you know, a bit retired 



126 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

These few days past, a natural thing to do, 

Under the circumstances, all admit — 

Well, we have made some progress ; I myself, 

To imitate your lack of modesty 

And don the egotistic, I myself 

Have not been idle ; all in fact is now 

Adjusted on a plan of compromise, 

My own invention, everybody pleased. 

We shall dispose of Stephen for you, Saul : 

Council ; Stephen arrested and arraigned ; 

Production of effective testimony ; 

A hearing of the accused ; commotion raised, 

While he is speaking, to help on his zeal ; 

Then, at the proper point, some heated phrase 

Of his let slip, a sudden rush of all 

Upon him with a cry of ' Blasphemy ! ' — 

Impulse of passionate enthusiasm, 

You know, premeditated with much care — 

And he is stoned ; which makes an end of him. 

Such is the outline ; not precisely what 

I could have wished, a little too much noise, 

The Mattathias tinge in it too strong — 

Still, everything considered, fairly good. 

The moment favors ; for the very fume 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MET, 1 27 

And fury of the popular caprice 
Has put it out of breath ; nay, for the nonce, 
The wind sits, such at least my hope is, veered 
And shifted points enough about to bear 
A touch of generous violence from us ; 
Then, as for those our rulers, they connive. 

" You see I have been open to admit 
Ideas the very opposite of my own. 
I am not one to haggle for a point 
Simply because it happened to be mine. 
The end, the end, is what we seek ; the means 
Signifies nothing to the wise. ' Let us 
Be wise,' as our friend Nicodemus said. 
That day, with so much gnomic wisdom couched 
In affable cohortative, as who 
Should say encouragingly, * Go to, good friends, 
Let us be gods ' ; wisdom and godship come, 
As everybody knows, with equal ease 
Indifferently, through simple conative, 
* Let us, ' and so forth, and the thing is done. " 

This voluble and festive cynicism, 
Taking fresh head again and yet again, 
At intervals, to flow an endless stream, 



128 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

From Shimei's mouth, of bitter pleasantry ; 

His vulgarly-presumed familiar airs 

And leer of mutual understanding, felt 

Rather than seen, upon his countenance ; 

The gurgling glee of self-complacency 

That purred, one long susurrus, through his talk ; 

The insufferable assumption tacitly 

Implied that human virtue was a jest 

At which the wise between themselves might grin 

Nor hide their grin with a decorous veil ; 

These things in his unwelcome guest, traits all 

Inseparably adhering to the man, 

Or fibre of his nature, Saul recoiled 

From, and revolted at, habitually : 

They rendered Shimei's very neighborhood 

An insupportable disgust to him. 

Still did some fascination Shimei owned, 

Perhaps a show of wit in mockery, 

Playing upon a momentary mood 

Of uncharacteristic helplessness in Saul 

(A humor too of wilfulness and spite 

Against himself displacent with himself 

That made him hold his sore and quivering pride 

Hard to the goad that hurt it) keep him mute. 



BookV. SAUL AND SHIM EI. 1 29 

If listless, while thus Shimei streamed on : 

" Well, as I said, friend Saul, I had no pride 
To carry an opinion of my own ; 
The scheme I brooded was a compromise. 
I plume myself upon a certain skill 
I have, knack I should call it, in this line. 
I like a pretty piece of joinery 
In plot, such match of motley odds and ends 
As tickles you with sense of happy hit, 
And here you have it. See, I take a bit 
Of magisterial statesmanship to start 
With — go to Rome, as Caiaphas advised, 
Though not quite on his errand ; Rome agrees 
To wink, while we indulge ourselves in what 
To us will be self-rule resumed, to her, 
A spasm of our Judaean savagery. 
Thus is the way made eligibly clear 
For brother Mattathias with those stones 
He raves about on all occasions — rubbed 
Smooth, they must be, as David's from the brook, 
With constant wear in Mattathias' hands! 
Was it not grim to hear him talk that day ? 
His dream of Maccabsean blood aboil 



I30 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

Within his veins has been too much for him, 
Made him a monomaniac on this point ; 
He sees before him visionary stones, 
Imponderable stones torment his hands; 
Give him his chance, have him at last let fly 
A real stone, a hard one, at somebody, 
Who knows ? it might bring Mattathias round. 
Stephen at any rate shall be his man, 
His corpus vile, as our masters say — 
Fair game of turn and turn about for him, 
Dog, to have handled you so roughly, Saul ! 
Trick of Beelzebub, no manner of doubt. 

" But here I loiter, while you burn of course 
To hear what figure you yourself may cut 
In my brave patchwork scheme of compromise. 
I modestly adjoin myself to Saul, 
And so we two go in together, paired — 
A little of your logic let into 
A little of my guile, and a fine fit. " 

Shimei had counted for a master stroke 
Of disagreeable humor sure to tell 
On Saul, the piecing of himself on him 
In plan, conscious of Saul's antipathy. 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MET. 131 

But Shimei still misapprehended Saul, 
Lacking the standard in himself wherewith 
To measure or assay the sentiment 
Of such as Saul for such as Shimei. 
Saul simply and serenely so despised 
Shimei, that nothing he should do or say 
Could change Saul's sentiment to more, or less, 
Or other, than it constantly abode. 
The absolute zero of indifference. 
Half absently, through fits of alien thought. 
And half with unconfessed concern to know 
What passed among his fellow-councillors 
Abroad, a little curious too withal 
Wondering how any artifice of fraud 
Could Saul with Shimei combine, to make 
Such twain seem partners of one policy — 
So minded, Saul gave ear, while Shimei thus 
The acrid juices of his humor spilled : 

" Here is the method of the joinery. 
You know you put it strongly that the end 
Of that pretended gospel which they preach, 
Would be to overturn the Jewish state, 
Abolishing Moses, and extinguishing 



132 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

The glory of the temple, and all that — 

Really sonorous rhetoric it was, 

That passage, Saul, and it deserved to win ; 

But who can win against Beelzebub ? 

Logic turned rhetoric is my idea 

Of eloquence, and my idea you 

Realized ; but Stephen, without eloquence, 

Bore off from you the fruit of eloquence : 

Never mind, Saul, it was Beelzebub. 

Let rhetoric now go back to logic ; you 

Demonstrated so inexpugnably 

The necessary inference contained 

In Stephen's doctrine, hardly were it guile — 

Though doubtless you will call it such, you have 

Your sublimated notions on these points — 

To say outright that Stephen taught the things 

You proved implicit in the things he taught ; 

At all events, guile or no guile — in fact, 

Guile and no guile it is, if closely scanned — 

Here is the scheme : — We find some blunderheads, 

Who, primed with method for their blundering, 

Will misremember and transfer from you 

To Stephen what you stated on this point. 

These worthies then shall roundly testify 



BookV. SAUL AND SHI MET. 1 33 

Before our honorable body met 

To give the fellow his fair hearing ere 

His sentence — said fair hearing not of course 

Eventually to affect said sentence due — 

Shall, I say, swear that they distinctly heard 

Stephen set forth that Jesus Nazarene 

Was going to destroy this place and change 

The customs Moses gave us ; bring about 

In brief precisely what, with so much force, 

You showed would surely happen " — 

" Shimei — 
Saul interrupted Shimei again, 
Surprised into expression by the shock 
To hear himself mixed up in any way, 
Of indirection even, in fraud like this — 
" Shimei, I thought that nothing you could say 
Would further tempt me into speech to you ; 
But you have broken my bond of self-restraint. 
Suborning perjury ! That well accords 
With what you slanted at in council once. 
And what I trusted I had then and there 
Made clear my scorn of Shimei, hear — I set 
My heel upon this thing and once for all 
Grind it into the dust. " 



134 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book V. 

" In figure, of course," 
Promptly leered Shimei, interrupting Saul ; 
" The thing goes forward just the same ; you set 
It under foot — in your rhetorical way ; 
I, in my practical way, set it on foot ; 
No mutual interference, each well pleased. 

" But, seriously, Saul, you overwork 
The idea of conscience. What is conscience ? Mere 
Self-will assuming virtuous airs. A term 
Cajoles you into making it a point 
Of moral obligation to be stiff. 
Limber up, Saul, and be adjustable. 
Capacity of taking several points 
Of view at will is good. For instance, now. 
Probably Stephen may, at various times, 
Himself have stated quite explicitly 
What your rhetorical logic showed to be 
Inextricably held as inference 
In his harangues. Take it so, Saul, if so 
Render your conscience easier ; I myself 
Highly enjoy my easy conscience. Still, 
Nothing could be more natural than that some, 
Hearers non-critical, you know, should mix 



BookV. SAUL AND SHIMEI, 1 35 

What you said with what Stephen said, and so 

Quite honestly swear falsely — to the gain 

Of truth. And to whose loss ? Stephen's, perhaps, 

But other's, none. So, salve your conscience, Saul — 

Which somehow you must learn, and soon, to do ; 

Unless you mean to play obstructionist. 

Instead of coadjutor, in the work 

You, with good motive, but with scurvy luck, 

Set about doing late so lustily. 

Conscience itself is to be sacrificed, 

At need, to serve the cause of righteousness. 

What is it but egregious egotism 

To obtrude, forsooth, a point of conscience, when 

You jeopard general interests thereby 1 

One's conscience is a private matter ; let 

Your conscience wince a little, if need be. 

In order that the public good be served. 

That is true generosity. * Let us 

Be just, ' said Nicodemus ; good, say I, 

But in this matter of our consciences, 

Let us go further and be generous. " 

As one who turns a stopcock and arrests 
A flow of water that need never cease, 



136 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book V. 

So Shimei left off speaking, not less full 

Of matter than at first that might be speech. 

With indescribable smirk, and cynic sneer 

Conveyed, sirocco breath of blight to faith 

In virtue and in good, he went away, 

Cheering himself that he had somewhat chilled 

Within the breast of that young Pharisee 

The ardor of conviction, and of hope 

Fed by conviction, — but still more that he 

Had probed and hurt the festering wounds of pride. 

Saul's first relief to be alone again. 
Rid of that nauseous presence, presently 
Was followed by depression and relapse 
From his instinctive tension to resist 
The unnerving spell of Shimei's influence. 
Saul found that in the teeth of his contempt 
For Shimei, absolute in measure, nay. 
By reason of that contempt, he had conceived 
Shame and chagrin beyond his strength to bear. 
That Shimei, such as Shimei, should have dared 
To visit Saul, and drill and drill his ears, 
With indefatigable screw of tongue 
Sinking a shaft through which to drench and drown 



BookV. SAUL AND SHIM EI, 137 

His soul with spew from out a source so vile — 

This argued fall indeed for him from what 

He lately was, from what he hoped to be, 

Far more, in popular repute. The sting 

That Shimei purposed subtly to infix, 

With that malicious irony and taunt 

Recurrent, the intentional affront. 

All of it, failed, blunted and turned in point 

Against the safe impenetrable mail 

Of Saul's contempt for Shimei. But that 

Which Shimei meant not, nor dreamed, but was. 

Went through and through Saul's double panoply, 

Found permeable now, of pride and scorn. 

And wilted him with self-disparagement. 

He marvelled at himself how he had not, 
At first forthputting of that impudence, 
Stormed the wretch dumb, with hurricane outburst 
Of passionate scorn ; a quick revulsion then. 
And Saul was chafing that he had so far 
Grace of rebuff vouchsafed, and honest heat, 
To creature lacking natural sense to feel 
Repudiation. Comfort none he found. 
No refuge from the persecuting thought 



138 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book V. 

Of his own fall. He tried to brace himself 

With thinking, " If I failed, I failed at least 

Not for myself, but God ; I strove for God. " 

But, ceaselessly, the image of himself, 

Humiliated, swam between to blur 

His vision of God. He could not cease to see 

Saul ever, in the mirror of his mind, 

And ever Stephen shadowing Saul's fair fame. 



BOOK VI. 
SAUL AND RACHEL. 



To Saul, wrapt in his gloomy contemplations, Rachel un- 
obtrusively presents herself. Conversation ensues between 
them, and Saul confides to his sister his own most secret 
purposes and hopes, dashed now so cruelly. The fact, how«- 
ever, at length comes out that Rachel was herself converted 
to Christianity as a result of Stephen's reply to Saul. Saul 
instantly hereon experiences a violent revulsion of feeling. 
He breaks away from Rachel, spurning her, and breathing 
out threatening and slaughter against the Christian church. 



SAUL AND RACHEL. 

Saul thus forlorn, a voice smote on his ear, 
Voice other than of Shimei, clear and sweet ; 
The very sound was balsam to his pain. 
Rachel's the voice was, who, with deep distaste, 
As jealous for her brother, had perceived 
The entering in to Saul of his late guest 
Ill-favored, and through all his stay had still, 
Impatiently awaiting, wished him sped. 
He now some moments gone, she issued forth 
From out her curtained chamber glimpsing gay 
Behind her, through the hangings, as she passed. 
With color — stuff of scarlet, linen fine 
Embroidered, weft of purple tapestry, 
Her handiwork — and sending after her 
Sweet scent of herb and flower, her husbandry — 
Forth issued, and across the inner court 
Open to heaven — small close of paradise, 



142 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book VI. 

A tall palm by a fountain, bloomy shrubs, 

And vines that clad with green the enclosing walls — 

Stepped lightly to Saul's side. Saul sat beneath 

A tent-cloth canopy outspread, his own 

Tent-making skill — the high noon of the sun 

To fend, if place perchance one then might wish 

In which free air to breathe safe from the heat — 

There sat relapsed, deep brooding gloomy thoughts, 

When now his sister pausing stood by him. 

A lovely vision ! Moving, or at rest. 

Ever a rapture Rachel seemed of grace 

Which but that moment that felicity 

Of posture or of gesture had attained, 

By accident, yet kept it, through all change. 

Inalienably hers, by right divine 

Of inward rhythm that swayed her heart in tune. 

The sister had, with love's observance, watched 
Some days the phases of her brother's mood, 
Biding her time to speak ; and now she spoke. 
" Brother," she murmured softly, "thou art sad. 
Thy brow is written over like a scroll 
With lines of trouble that I try to read. 
Unbind thy heart, I pray, to me, who grieve 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL. 

To see thee grieve, and fain at least would share 
Such brother's sorrow as I may not soothe. " 

This suave appeal of sister's sympathy 
Won upon Saul to wean him from himself — 
A moment, and that moment he partook 
Comfort of love, nepenthe to his pain. 
While thus he answered Rachel : 

" Nay, but thou, 
My sister, thou thyself art to me rest 
And solace. Sit thee down, I pray, beside 
Thy brother. But to have thee nigh as now 
Refreshes like the dew. I bathe my heart 
In thee as in a fountain. Ask me not 
To ease its aching otherwise than so. 
Pillow me on thy love and let me rest 
In silence from the sound of my own voice. 
I hate myself, Rachel." 

" But I love thee, 
My own dear, noble brother, " Rachel said ; 
" I love thee, and I will not let thee hate 
Thyself Brother and sister should be one 
In love and hate. Hate what I hate, and what 
I love, love thou — that is true brotherhood." 



143 



144 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book VI. 

" Safe law of brotherhood indeed for me, 
With thee for sister, Rachel," Saul replied, 
With fondness and self pity, as he kissed 
The pure young brow upturned toward him ; " but me, 
Thou dost not know me as I know myself " 

"O nay, but better, brother," Rachel said; 
" Right hate is good, as good as love. So, hate, 
But not thyself, Saul. Shall I tell thee one 
To hate 1 I hate him, and I counsel thee. 
Hate, Saul, that evil man I saw but now 
Steal from his too long privilege at thine ear. " 

" Him, Rachel," Saul replied, " I cannot hate ; 
Hatred is made impossible by scorn. " 

"Thou scornest him," she said, "but not too much 
To have been disturbed by him. The cloudy brow, 
So unlike my brother — I have brought it back, 
I see, dear Saul, by only mentioning him. 
Hate him well, Saul, and be at peace again. 
To hate is safer, better, than to scorn. 
We scorn with pride, we must with conscience hate, 
Such hating as I mean. Thou art too proud, Saul." 

Saul answered, " For my pride I hate myself. " 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL. 145 

But she : " Were it not wiselier done to hate 
One's pride, than for one's pride to hate one's self ? 
Whoever hates himself for his own pride 
Still keeps the pride for which he hates himself. 
Hate and abjure thy pride, and love thyself. " 

" Easy to say, O Rachel, hard to do, " 
Sighed Saul, — " at least for such as I, who am 
Too proud, too proud ! Thou seest that after all 
Thou and myself know Saul alike, too proud, 
Albeit the too proud man we treat unlike, 
Thou loving and I hating him. " 

"O Saul," 
Thus spoke she, gazing steadfastly at him, 
But sudden-starting tears swam in her eyes, 
" O Saul, Saul, Saul, my brother, whence is this ? 
Thou wert not wont to talk thus. Changed art thou 
Since when I heard thee speak in that dispute 
With Stephen — " 

"Thou heard'st me?" asked Saul. 

" Yea, Saul," 
Rachel replied, "I heard both thee and him." 
(Saul proudly hid an answering hurt of pride.) 



146 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VI. 

" I heard thee, brother, and was proud for thee ; 

I never knew more masterful high speech 

Fall from thy lips. My heart leaped up for joy 

To listen. When those men of Israel 

Shouted, I shouted with them, silently, 

Louder than all. God heard the secret noise, 

Like thunder, of the beating of my heart 

In sister's pride for brother's victory. 

I crowned thee, I anointed thee my king, 

So glorious wast thou in thy conquering might ! 

And that effulgent pride upon thy brow ! " 

" But when," said Saul, forestalling ruefully 
The expected and the dreaded change and fall 
From such a chanted paean to his praise — 
" But when " — 

" But when, O Saul/' she said, " when he, 
Stephen, stood forth to answer thee, there was — 
Didst thou not feel it.? — " 

" Sister, yea, I felt, 
More than my sister even could feel, that I 
Was baffled, put to shame. " 

" Nay, nay, " she said ; 
" Not that, O Saul, dear Saul, it was not that. " 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL, 147 

" What, then ? For I felt nothing else, " said Saul ; 
" That feeling filled me, as sometimes the sound 
And stir of whirlwind fill the firmament. 
My mind was one mad vortex swallowing up 
All other thought than this, ' Saul, thou art shamed ! ' " 

" Why, Saul, " cried she, '' what canst thou mean ? 
Thou shamed ? 
How shamed ? " 

" Rachel, I lost, and Stephen won." 

*' What didst thou lose } " said Rachel, wonderingly ; 
" And what did Stephen win, that also thou 
Won' St not .^ I cannot understand thee, Saul." 

Such crystal clearness of simplicity 
Became a mirror, wherein gazing, Saul 
Beheld himself a double-minded man. 
How should he deal with questioner like this ? 

" Why, Rachel, canst thou then not understand," 
He said, " how I should wish to conquer .? " 

"Yea," 
Said she, " for truth's sake, Saul. And still, if truth 
Conquered, though not by thee, thou wouldst be glad, 



14^ THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book VI. 

Wouldst thou not, Saul? Here sad I see thee now, 
As if truth's cause were fallen — which could not be, 
Since truth is God's — and yet thou sayest not that. 
But, * Saul is shamed ! ' and, ' Saul has lost ! ' Not truth. 
But Saul. I cannot understand. Thou hadst 
Perhaps, unknown to me, some other end 
Than only truth, which also thou wouldst gain ? " 

It was his sister's single-heartedness 
That helped her see so true and aim so fair. 
Saul was too noble not to meet her trust 
In him with trust in her as absolute. 

" Rachel, " he said, his reverence almost awe, 
" Never did burnished metal give me back 
Myself more truly, outer face and form. 
Than the pure tranquil mirror of thy soul 
Shows me the image of my inner self. 
The truth I see by thee is justly thine. 
And thou likewise shalt see it all in all. 

" The law of God was ever my delight. 
As thou knowest, sister, who hast seen me pore 
Daily from boyhood on the sacred scroll 
Of Scripture, eager to transfer it whole 
Unto the living tablets of my heart. 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL, 1 49 

And I have sought, how earnestly thou knowest 

To make my life a copy of the law. 

No jot or tittle of it was too small 

For me to heed with scruple and obey. 

With all my heart was I a Pharisee, 

Born such, bred such, and such by deep behef. 

" But more, my sister. Musing on the world, 
I saw one nation among nations, one 
Alone, no fellow, worshipper of God, 
The True, the Only, and by Him elect 
To be His people and receive His law ; 
That nation was my nation. My heart burned, 
Beholding in the visions of my head. 
The glory that should be, and was not, ours. 
Think of it, sister, God Himself our King, 
And bondmen we of the uncircumcised ! 
I brooded on the shame and mystery 
With anguish in the silences of night. 
I saw the image of a mighty state 
Loom possible before me. Her august 
And beautiful proportions, builded tall 
And noble, rested on foundation-stones 
Of sapphire, and in colors fair they rose ; 



I50 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book VI. 

Her pinnacles were rubies, and her gates 

Carbuncles — I beheld Jerusalem, 

The city of Isaiah's prophecy ; 

Her borders round about were pleasant stones. 

She sat the queen and empress of the earth ; 

The tributary nations, of their store, 

Poured wealth into her lap, and vassal kings 

Hasted in long procession to her feet. 

The throne and majesty of God in her 

Held capital seat, or his vicegerent Christ 

Reigned with reflected splendor scarce less bright. 

Such, sister, was the dream in which I lived, 

Dream call it, but it is the will of God, 

More solid than the pillared firmament. 

" Was it a fault of foolish pride in me, 
Did I aspire audaciously, to hope 
That I, by doing and by daring much, 
Beyond my equals, might beyond them share 
Fulfilments such as these ? I heard a voice 
Saying, ' Prepare the Lord His way. ' I thought 
The Lord was near, and what I could, I would 
Do to make wide and smooth and straight His way 
Before Him, ere He came. I trusted Him 



BookVI. SAUL AND RACHEL. 151 

That, when He came, He in His hands would bring 
Large recompense for servants faithful found. 
And not forget even Saul, should haply Saul 
Not utterly in vain prove to have striven, 
Removing from the path of His approach 
The stone of stumbling. 

'* Sister, these are thoughts 
Such as men have, but cherish secretly, 
Even from themselves, and never speak aloud 
To any ; I have now not spoken these 
To thee ; thou hast but heard a few heart-beats 
Rendered articulate breath by grace of right 
Thine own to know the truth, who hast the truth 
Revealed to me. 

" O other conscience mine. 
Wherein have I gone wrong ? I felt the power, 
Asleep within me, stirring half awake, 
To take possession of the minds of men 
And sway their wills ; the world was not too wide 
To be the empire I could rule aright, 
As chiefest minister, were such His will, 
Of God's Messiah. Some one needs must sit 
At His right hand to hear and execute 
His pleasure — why not Saul ? Who worthier ? 



152 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book VI. 

But now, alas ! less worthy who, or who 
Less likely ? I am fallen, am shamed — past hope, 
Past hope ! I who aspired to greatest things 
Am to least things by proof unequal found ! 
How shall I not hate Stephen, who has wrought 
On me this great despite — besides what he 
Wrought on the suffering cause of truth divine ? " 

Rachel's heart heaved, but in what words to speak 
She did not find. Saul into his dark mood 
Retired, and sat in silence for a while. 
Returning, then, for torture of himself, 
To that which Rachel brokenly began 
To say, and left unsaid, Saul asked of her : 
" What was it, sister, thou beganst to tell, 
When, not thy brother, but thy brother's spleen, 
Broke thy words off with interruption rude } 
Something it seemed of how, at Stephen's words, 
A change fell on thee, from thy first applause 
Ofme — " 

" O Saul ! A chasm of difference, " 
So to her brother, Rachel sad burst forth, 
" Yawns betwixt thee and me this day, how wide. 
How wide ! I feel the bond of sisterhood, 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL, 1 53 

Stretching across, not strained to break — for that 
Shall never, never be, in any world, 

brother, truest, noblest, best beloved ! — 
But strained to draw thee to me where I am 
From where thou art, far off, albeit so near ! " 

" A tragic riddle which I fail to read, 
Rachel," said Saul, perplexed ; " solve thou it me." 

" Brother, I fear I cannot," Rachel said ; 
" But loyally I will try. When Stephen stood 
To answer thee that day, a power not he 
Oppressed my spirit with a sense of weight, 
Gentle but insupportable, which grew 
Instantly greater and greater, until it seemed 
Ready to crush, unless I yielded ; Saul, 

1 yielded, and that weight became as might 
Which passed to underneath me and upbore. " 

" Rachel, be simpler, " Saul severely said ; 
" My soul refuses to be teased with words. 
Meanest thou this, that Stephen mastered thee?'* 

" Nay, Saul, my brother," meekly Rachel said, 
Meekly and firmly ; " Stephen not, but God. 
No man could master me away from Saul. 



154 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VI. 

Proudly I was thy vassal sister, Saul, 
Until God summoned me with voice that I 
Might not resist ; God's vassal am I now, 
But sister still to thee, and loyal, Saul, 
Beyond all measure of that loyalty 
I held before, which made me proud of thee, 
And glad of thee, and spurred me on to praise 
My brother as the paragon of men. 
O Saul—" 

" Nay, Rachel, " Saul said, with a tone 
Repressive more than the repressive words, 
" I will not hear thee further in this vein. 
Thou art a woman, and I must not blame 
Thy Vv^eakness ; sister too to me thou art, 
And I will not misdoubt thy love ; but thou 
Hast added the last drop of bitterness 
To the crowned cup of grief and shame poured out 
For me to drink. Go, Rachel, muse on this: 
A brother leaned an aching, aching heart 
Upon a sister's bosom to be eased, 
And that one pillow out of all the world 
To me, that trusted downy softness, hid 
The crudest subtle unsuspected thorn. 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL. 1 55 

Saul's sister a disciple and a dupe 

Of those that preach the son of Joseph, Christ ! 

And this, forsooth, the fruit that was to be 

Of Saul's aspiring trust to strike the stroke 

That in one day should crush the wretched creed ! 

Rachel, methinks thou mightst have spared me this 1 

But nay, my sister, better is it so. 

Haply no barb less keen had stung me back 

To my old self and made me Saul again — 

The weakling that I was, to pule and weep. 

As if the cause were lost and all were lost ! 

I thank thee, sister, thou hast done me good. 

Like medicine — like bitter medicine! 

Tell me true, Rachel, thou didst feign me this, 

To rouse me from my late unmanly swoon. 

That is past now ; I rise refreshed and strong, 

I see my path before me, stretching straight, 

I enter it to tread it to the end. 

Doubt not but I shall feel the wholesome hurt 

Of the shrewd spur my sister, with wise heart 

Of hardness, plunged full deep into my side 

Betimes, when I was drooping nigh to sink. 

Peace to thee, sister, cheer thee with this thought, 

' I saved my brother from the last disgrace 



156 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VI. 

By a disgrace next to the last — It was 
A hard way, but the only, and it sped !'" 

Such cruel irony from her brother cut 
The tender heart of Rachel like a knife. 
But more for Saul she grieved than for herself; 
She knew that naught but anguish of chagrin 
The sharpest could have tortured out from him, 
So noble and so gentle, any taunt. 
From sheer compassion of his misery, 
She wept, and said : 

"O Saul, Saul, Saul — " 

But he 
" Rachel, no more ; already deep enough, 

I judge, for present use, the iron has gone ; 

I shall not falter ; thou mayst safely spare 

To drive it deeper now — it rankles home. 

And surely, if hereafter I should feel. 

At some weak woman's moment, any touch 

Of foolish tenderness to make me pause 

Relaxing and relenting from my course — 

A sad course, Rachel, traced in blood and tears! — 

Should ever such a softness steal on me, 

Surely I should but need remember thee, 



Book VI. SAUL AND RACHEL. 157 

Thou younger playmate of my boyhood ! thee, 
Mirror, that was, of saintly sisterhood ! 
Loveliest among the daughters of thy race 
Once, to thy brother ! fountain flowing free 
Of gladness, never sadness, unto him ! — 
Never of sadness until now, but now — 
O Rachel, Rachel, sister, changed this day 
From all thou wert to what I will not name — 
Surely I shall but need bring back this hour, 
And let the image of my sister pass — 
O broken image of all loveliness, 
Distained and broken ! — pass before my eyes. 
As here I see her, separate from me 
Forever, and outcast from God — that thought, 
That image, shall make brass the heart of Saul, 
And his nerve iron, to smite and smite again, 
Until no wily Stephen shall remain 
For any silly Rachel to obey ! " . 

Fierce so outbreathing threat and slaughter, Saul 
In bitterness of spirit broke away. 



BOOK VII. 
STEPHEN AND RUTH. 



Rachel in dismay soliloquizes. She at length resolves on 
conveying to Stephen, through Ruth, his wife, a warning of 
his danger. Ruth, not a Christian, expostulates with her 
husband, attempting to dissuade him from his course — a 
course certain, she says, to end fatally for him. After a 
gentle, long, anguished effort on his part to bring Ruth to 
sympathy with himself in his Christian faith, Stephen parts 
from her with presentiment that it is never to return. Under 
the power of the Holy Spirit, he takes his way from Bethany, 
where his home is, to Jerusalem. His friends Martha and 
Mary, with their brother Lazarus, see him going, and follow. 



STEPHEN AND RUTH. 

Rudely thus parted from his sister, Saul 
Straightway sought certain of his synagogue — > 
The synagogue of the Cilicians — men 
Less alien from himself than Shimei was 
In spirit, while compatriot too by birth 
As was not Shimei, an Asian he — 
And these made privy to his changed resolve. 
They, glad of such adhesion, opened free 
Their counsel to him, telling, with grimace 
Added, and shrug of shoulder, to attest 
Their scorn of Shimei, Shimei's scheme, which they 
Sourly, as from compulsion, now took up. 
Saul, swallowing a great throe of innermost 
Revolt that well-nigh mastered him, subscribed 
Himself, by silence, partner of their deed. 

Rachel, spurned from him by her brother, sat 
Moveless a while, the image of dismay, 



1 62 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book VII. 

Her two ears caves of roaring sound, her mind 

A whirling void of sheer astonishment. 

When presently the storm a little calmed 

Within her, and she knew herself once more. 

She cleared her thought by settling it in words — 

Words which through fluent mood and mood changed 

swift 
From passionate soliloquy to prayer, 
And from prayer back to soft soliloquy: 
" My brother shall not excommunicate 
His sister! While I love him he is mine. 
And I shall not be * separate ' from him 
' Forever ' — let him hate me as he will, 
Who hates himself, and otherwise amiss 
Hates liberally. Why did I let him go ? 
I should have held him, should have told him I 
Am of one blood with him, as high as he 
In spirit ; though a * woman,' not to be 
Put down ; he gave me right, with speech like that, 
To equal him in stinging word for word. 
I could have done it. Woman am I ? Yea, 
And Deborah was a woman, Miriam too. 
I feel my blood a-tingle in my veins 
With lust to have him back, and make him know 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH, 1 63 

The lion with the lamb lies down in me 

Together ; and I showed him but the lamb ! 

The lion rouses late, occasion gone ! 

Did he cow me ? So tamely I endured 

His contumely ! Anger none till now, 

Nor shame not to be angry at such speech 

From him ; but now — anger with burning shame 

Turns inward and incenses me like fire. 

I scorn myself for that, reed-like, my head 

I bowed before the tempest of his scorn. 

When blast for blast I should have blown him back 

His tempest. " 

Rachel's indignation so 
Like a sea wrought and was tempestuous. 
But the recoil of her own violent speech 
First gave her pause, then pierced her with remorse. 
Daily, from when she, hearing Stephen speak. 
Heard God through Stephen speaking, and obeyed, 
Rachel, first having in baptism testified 
Her death to sin, her birth to righteousness — 
Never her absent brother dreaming it — 
Gladsome had broken bread of fellowship 
With the disciples of the Lord, and learned, 



1 64 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VII. 

Both from their hps and from their lives beheld, 

Deep lessons in the lore of Jesus, apt 

By the tuition of the Holy Ghost. 

The better spirit, for a moment lost, 

So lately made her own, came back to her. 

Sadly she mused, recalling her hot words 

Of passion : 

" ' Tempest'? Tempest sure just now 
Hummed in me. ' Scorn myself ' 1 What word was 

that? 
Rachel forsooth forbade Saul saying, * \ hate 
Myself — and scorn herself does she, yea, here 
Sit impotently brooding scorn for scorn 
To rival him ? Surely I missed my way. 
* Scorn,' ' hate ,' one spirit both these speak, such scorn 
Such hate, in him, in me. One spirit both. 
And that the spirit of this world, not His, 
Not Christ's, no spirit of Thine, O Crucified, 
Thou meek and lowly holy Lamb of God ! 
Forgive, forgive me, from Thy cross of shame 
And passion, O Thou suffering Son of God ! 
Once prayedst Thou thence for those that murdered 

Thee, 
'Father, forgive them, for they know not what 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH, 1 65 

They do. * I knew not what I did when so 
I crucified Thee afresh through shameful pride. 
My heart breaks with my sorrow for my sin, 
A broken and a contrite heart, O Lord, 
Thou never wilt despise. 

" And now yet more 
My heart breaks with forgiveness poured on me. 
O sweet and blessed flood, pour on me still ! 
Deliciously I tremble and rejoice. 
To be thus broken is bliss more to me 
Than to be whole. I love to lie dissolved. 
Dissolving, under this soft fall of peace 
Distilled like dew from out Thy bleeding heart ! 
Lo, here I wholly, wholly, wholly yield 
To Thee, O Christ, am fluid utterly. 
To take whatever shape Thee best may please. 
Remake me after Thine own image. Lord ! 

" I pray Thee for my brother. Suffer not 
That he act out his purposed madness. Save, 

save him from that dreadful sin he means 
Against Thee and against Thy holy cause. 

1 cannot bear it, that my brother rage 

Against Thee hke the heathen. Thou art strong, 



1 66 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VII. 

Christ ! I pray Thee — Thee I pray, O Christ, 
Thee only, for none other can — meet Thou 
And master Saul ! His sister pleads with Thee ; 

1 plead for his sake, he being dear to me, 

But more for Thine own name and glory's sake. 
And for Thy suffering cause ! 

I thank Thee, Lord, 
With joyful tears, I thank Thee, gracious Lord, 
That Thou restrainedst me dumb with silence then 
When Saul spake evil of me — for Thy sake. 
Through Thee, Who, when reviled, reviledst not 
Again, through Thee, through Thee, I, also I, 
Proud foolish Rachel, then refrained from words ! 
No taunt retorted, no reproach, no blame. 
Stung him from me to sin ; I thank Thee, Lord, 
For that ! 

" Now is there naught that I may do ? 
May I not warn that prophet Stephen ? Saul 
Wildly foreshadowed harm himself might wreak 
On him ; and what meant Shimei's visit here ? 
Mischief, no doubt of that ; collusion strange, 
Incredible, impossible, such twain. 
That Shimei and my brother ! I will go 
And talk with Stephen's wife, her, what I can, 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. 1 67 

Without disloyalty to Saul, stir up 
To fear for Stephen's safety ; he need not, 
Surely, dauntless high prophet of the Lord 
Although he be, still ready-girt to die, 
Rush blindfold into danger unforewarned." 

So to the house of Stephen Rachel went 
With haste, and there, in darkened words to Ruth, 
Perturbed her woman's breast with vague alarms : 
' Her husband must of stratagem beware, 
And even of violence, aimed against his life. ' 
Stephen, by Ruth his wife, of all advised. 
Armed him his heart to face what must befall. 

Ruth shook him to the centre of his soul 
With storms of wife's complaints and love and tears : 
" Nay, Stephen, many a time, bear witness thou, 
My heart before she came misgave me sore ; 
But now, since Rachel's words, no peace I find 
Concerning thee, in this thy wilful way . 
Wherein thou goest — whither, I know not, whence, 
Too well I know, for from a home thou goest 
Once happy, ere this madness came on thee ! " 
Sharply so Stephen's wife upbraided him. 
Gravely and gently he admonished her : 



1 68 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book VIL 

" Name it not madness, woman, lest thereby 
Thou sin that sin against the Holy Ghost. 
No madness is it when the soul of man 
Is sovereignly usurped by the Most High 
To be the organ of Almighty Will. 
I yield myself, nay, Ruth, I join myself, 
To God — no blind unsharing instrument, 
But joyful partner of His purposes. " 

Solemnly chided so, Ruth quick replied : 
" And what if of His purposes one be 
To let thee plunge, as headstrong, so headlong. 
Thy way to bloody death, thou stiff-necked man ? 
Thou hearest what Rachel brings us, doubtful hint 
Indeed, but therefore in itself to me 
Only more fearful ; and how fearful joined 
To what thyself confessest thou of late, 
With thine own ears, hast, from the public mouth, 
Heard — instigated whisper, Shimei's brew, 
Accusing thee of treason to the hope 
Of Israel, and purpose to destroy 
The temple, and the customs do away 
Which Moses left us ! Stephen, all these signs 
Singly, much more together, point one way — 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. 1 69 

They threaten death to thee, if thou persist 

To preach things hateful to the wise and good. " 

Ruth intermitted, and her husband said : 
" The danger, Ruth, I know, but I must not, 
For danger, slack obedience to my Lord." 

Then Ruth said : 

" But I only ask that thou 
Now, for a little, prudently abide 
In hiding till this storm be overpast." 

He, with a glance of irony, replied : 
" And always run to covert at the first 
Bluster of opposition ? Yea, to some 
That is permitted ; but to other some, 
Whereof am I, only to stand foursquare 
And take the buffet of whatever storm. 
And the best prudence is obeying, Ruth. " 

High answered Stephen thus, but Ruth rejoined : 
" Stephen, thou ever wert a stubborn will, 
And overweening of the wisdom thine. 
Hard-hearted and unloving never yet, 
Never, till now. How canst thou bide thus calm, 
And I, thine erst loved wife, beheld by thee 



I70 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VII 

So tossed with tempest and not comforted ? " 

Wherewith self-pity broke her words to sobs : 
She fell on Stephen's neck and wept aloud. 
With both his arms he folded her about, 
While his heart, hugely swelling in his breast. 
Forced to his eye the slow, large, rounding tear. 
It was as if a cloud that wished to rain 
Strongly held back its drooping weight of shower. 
His melting voice at last he fixed in words : 
" What meanest thou to weep and break my heart, 

thou, mine own, most loving and most loved 
Of women ? Flesh cries out to flesh in me 
Against the purpose of my spirit set 

To crucify the flesh with its desires ! " 

Ruth caught her sobs and held them while she spoke . 
" Flesh of thy flesh am I ; thou slayest me 
In slaying thyself; I will not have it so. 
Not ready yet am I to die in thee ; 
And thee God surely needs alive, not dead : 
The dead cannot praise God nor serve His cause. 
Who will so preach that gospel that thou lovest 
When thou art gone 1 Who then will silence Saul ? 

1 tell thee, Stephen, this is Satan's guile — 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. 171 

To get thee slain — and overmatch mightst thou 
The arch-deceiver, easily, if thou wouldst, 
So easily — only live. " 

Conclusive seemed 
Her argument to Ruth and stanched her tears. 
She gently disengaged the fond embrace 
That held her to her husband's heart, and, drawn 
A little backward from his face her face, 
She smiled on him like sunshine after rain. 
Smiling pathetically back, he kissed, 
With kisses that she felt like sacraments, 
Then, and forever after till she died, 
His wife's brow beautiful with hope, and said : 
" Ruth, thou hast said ; it is, be sure, his guile, 
Satan's, whereby I presently shall die ; 
If so to die indeed be mine, who feel 
Too young still, and too strong, too full of hope, 
Too full of — shall I name it, Ruth ? — too full 
Of God Himself, the Holy Ghost, to die ! 
For He within me lives such life and power, 
Death seems impossible, all weakness seems 
Far off, an alien thing, and not for me ; 
I am immortal and omnipotent. 



172 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book VII. 

That, Ruth, is when I stand to speak for God, 
Preaching to men the gospel of His Son. 

" But when, as now, I sit with thee and talk, 
Or when my children cluster round my knees, 
And I hear husband, father, from fond lips 
Pressed to these lips so oft, and with such joy, 
When all the dearness that is meant by home, 
And all the drawing lodged in kindred blood. 
And all that sense, unutterably deep, 
Of oneness, soul in soul, with those we love — 
O Ruth ! — but, Ruth, our tears commingled flow, 
Tis our hearts flow together in those tears ! 
O wife and life, when all that I have said, 
And that far more which never tongue could say. 
Surges upon me, surge on surge of thought 
And feeling, like an overflowing flood, 
Beloved, then, how weak I am, how frail, 
How low and like to die ! I lean toward thee. 
As if the oak should lean upon his vine." 

Ruth took his word from him and made reply : 
" So lean on me, my love, and be at rest ; 
Lean, and make proof how vines at need are strong. 
In me no faltering purpose weakens will. 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH, 1 73 

Thou speakest of flesh within thee crying out 
To flesh against the spirit — warfare strange 
Of elements that dwell in me at one. 
My nature moves straightforward all one way. 
Rebellion none, no mutiny, I find 
Only resolve to thwart thy mad resolve. 
Thy half resolve, say rather, half and mad — 
So proved by these compunctious visitings 
Thou hast, these gracious sweet remorses wise, 
Relentings toward thy children and toward me ; 
Divine presages, Stephen, scorn them not, 
Sent to forewarn thee ere it be too late ! 

" Bethink thee, Stephen, when didst thou before, 
Ever, thus will and straight unwill, thus halt. 
Thus parley with thyself, thus stand in doubt 
Like a reed shaken with the wind, as now 
I see thee here ? Thou art not like thyself; 
Not like that Stephen, ready, combative. 
Thy stature still elastically tall 
To tower and overtop and overfrown 
Whatever front of menace challenged thee. 
By thy changed state, I pray thee, be advised. 
God teaches thee hereby. He does not wish 



1 74 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book Vli. 

Thy will with thy desire to be at war. 
Give up thy heady will, and let desire, 
Divinely wise, the wisdom of the heart. 
Guide thee ; her ways are ways of pleasantness, 
And all her paths are peace. " 

Again well pleased 
With her own argument, Ruth tearful smiled 
A smile that, tenfold tender through those tears. 
Was argument to Stephen more than words. 
From deep within he heaved a sigh and said : 
" Oh ! Woman ! Woman ! Ruth, thou teachest me 
How Adam could, by Eve's enticement drawn, 
Be even beguiled to die. And now, to live, 
Not die, my Eve entices me. O Ruth, 
I feel, I feel, doubt not but that I feel, 
The sweet, the subtly sweet, dissolving spell 
Of wish infused by thee, with thee to live. 
With thee and for thee, nay, in thee, as thou 
In me — this twain one life, how dear, how dear! 
O wife, what is there that I could not bear 
And dare of hard and high, wert thou, with smiles 
And tears and love, for Christ but eloquent, 
As all too well I feel thee eloquent 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. 1 75 

For our sweet selves ? " 

Ruth's heart sank, but she said : 
" O Stephen, for our children ! " Then she threw 
Her head upon his bosom, there in tears, 
With passionate sobs and throbs, poured out her heart 

He mightily a mighty swell that yearned 
To be a storm within him, ruled, and said : 
" Nay, Ruth, but we forget. Life beyond life 
Remains to us and to our children. We, 
Forgetfully, desire and hope and fear 
As if death bounded all. A little while 
And Christ will come again. Then they that sleep 
In Him will wake to Him, and they that still 
Wake when He comes, but love Him, will, with those 
Late sleeping in Him now awake, ascend 
To meet the Lord descending, in the air : 
Thenceforward all that love Him, loved of Him, 
Will be forever with Him where He is. 
Beholding there His glory. Blessed state ! 
No tears, no fears, no hearts that break, no hearts 
That will not break, although they ache the more. 
Perhaps, God knows, not breaking — naught of these, 
And naught of any ill, but only peace. 



176 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VII. 

Joy, love, security of peace and joy 

And love, and fellowship in peace and joy 

And love, forever, perfect, more and more, 

With vision beatific still of Him 

Who washed us in His blood and made us kings 

And priests to God. Ruth, here is hope indeed 

For us that will not make ashamed." 

But Ruth 
Unhearing heard and was not comforted. 
She raised her head from Stephen's breast, with act 
As if to part herself in hope from him. 
And, with regard made almost alien, said : 
*' Hug thou thy hope, thy hope is not for me. 
He could not save himself, thy Christ, but died 
As the fool dieth — and as die wilt thou. 
If thou despise my counsel ! Stephen, I 
Would rather take my lot a little less. 
Less large, less perfect, and less durable, 
Than that thou figurest in thy fantasy, 
So I might have it something different 
From that, real, substantial, palpable 
To sense, something whereof one could be sure. 
I am no visionary. Take, say I, 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH, IJJ 

With thanks the good God gives us now and here ; 

Not spurn His bounty back into His face, 

And reach out emptied hands of wanton greed 

To grasp at more He has not offered us. 

We have no right to throw our Hfe away! — 

In hope of life hereafter, only ours 

Then when with patience our appointed time — 

*All ' our appointed time, Stephen — we wait, 

Till our change come." 

Ruth's chill repellent tone, 
Her mask of manner hard, could not deceive 
Her husband, who, through such disguise with pain 
Put on, well recognized a new device 
Of wife's love, versatile as resolute, 
Constraining tenderness to play severe. 
Yet not the less for that, more rather, he 
Felt at her words a dull weight of despair 
Oppress his spirit ; he could only pray. 
In silent sorrow not to be expressed, 
" O Holy Ghost of God, pity and save ! " 
A hundred times so praying for his wife, 
In anguished iteration o'er and o'er, 
Stephen not speaking sat, and speechless she. 



178 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book Vll. 

At last, as if one bound with green withes rose 
Rending the withes to rise, rose Stephen, sweat 
Of supreme agony victorious 
At dreadful cost dewing his brow ; he took 
His wife's hand solemnly and tenderly, 
His port majestical compelling awe, 
And, with tense speech, in tones that strangely mixed 
The husband with the prophet, slowly said : 
" Farewell, Ruth, for the hour is fully come 
That I must hence. The burden of the Lord 
Is instant and oppresses me. I go. 
Whither I know not, but He knows, to bear 
Witness once more to His most worthy name. 
I thought that I should never preach again 
His gospel in those temple courts, but now 
Perhaps He wills even that ; whatever be 
His purpose, unforeshown, I welcome it. 

" Lo, Ruth, this is the last time, for full well 
I know I never shall come back to thee ! 
Come thou to me, I charge thee that, and bring 
Our children to their father. Always think 
Hereafter, ' He, that last time, charged me that ! ' 
I think my God in this has heard my prayer, 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. 179 

And I go hence in comfort of some hope. 

Our children ! Oh ! My children ! God in heaven, 

Have mercy ! How a father pitieth 

His children, think of that, and pity me ! 

A father lays them on a Father's heart ; 

Father, I charge Thee, by Thy father's-heart, 

Not one be plucked from out His Father's hand ! 

Lord Christ, see Thou to this, in session there 

Forever, interceding for Thine own ! 

" Ruth, give their father's blessing to our babes ; 
I trust that they will cheer their mother well, 
When I am gone, and cheer thee to the end. 
Their sweet unconscious voices now I hear 
In laugh and prattle of pathetic glee ! 
I fain would see their faces once again. 
Kiss them once more, and take a last caress ! 
But nay, I spare myself one pang ; sweet babes. 
They are too young to know ! But by and by. 
When they are older and will understand, 
Then tell them thou what I now cannot, say, 
'Your father loved you, loves you, and will love 
Forever — that was his last word to me 
For you.' So, Ruth, farewell ! " 



l8o THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book VII. 

With first his hands, 
Both, placed in solemn blessing on her head, 
She kneeling by his knees, forth from his house 
Therewith went Stephen all as in a trance. 
With open eyes that saw not, yet with steps 
Guided — how, he well knew, but whither not — 
In simple rapt obedience, he his way 
Took absently like one that walks in sleep. 

Stephen his home had fixed in Bethany — 
Sequestered hamlet on the slope behind 
The Mount of Olives from Jerusalem. 
Mary and Martha, here, and Lazarus, 
He knew and loved ; and with them oft, their guest. 
Held converse sweet of what He said and did. 
And was, the Friend Who wept when Lazarus died. 
The Lord of life through Whom he lived again : 
But Ruth, self-sundered from this fellowship. 
Abode apart, or only with them bound 
In bonds of kindly common neighborhood. 
These marked when Stephen, marking not, passed by, 
That day, steps toward the holy city bent. 
And to each other said : ' He goes once more 
Bound in the spirit to Jerusalem 



Book VII. STEPHEN AND RUTH. l8l 

To preach the gospel of the grace of God. 
Behold the lit look on the forward face ! 
Behold the gait half-buoyed as if with wings ! 
It is like Jesus hastening to His cross ! 
Lo, let us follow !' and they followed him. 
But he went ever onward, slacking not 
His steps, nor heeding when the brow he reached 
Of Olivet and thence, across the deep 
Ravine of Kedron worn with rushing floods, 
Before him and beneath him saw outspread 
The city of David with its palaces. 



BOOK VIII. 
STEPHEN MARTYR. 



As Stephen approaches the temple, he is suddenly arrested 
and brought before the Sanhedrim. There making his de- 
fence, he is interrupted with hostile demonstrations, instigated 
by Shimei. On this, he bursts out with noble indignation, 
which furnishes the desired occasion for a cry against him of 
" Blasphemy ! " from all, and for a violent hurrying forth of 
the prisoner without the walls to be stoned. A file of Roman 
soldiers confronts and stays the tumultuous crowd ; but, after 
parley conducted by Shimei with the centurion, their leader, 
the rout is suffered to proceed. Meantime, however, a little 
company of sympathizing Christians, including Rachel with 
the three from Bethany, have gathered round Stephen and 
listened to cheerful, tranquillizing words from him. After the 
stoning, these friends carry the body of Stephen for laving to 
the pool of Siloam, whence by moonlight up Olivet to 
Bethany. Here they lay it in a room of Martha and Mary's 
house until morning. 



STEPHEN MARTYR. 

The sun of Syrian afternoon, declined 
Half-way betwixt the zenith and the west, 
Burned blinding in the cloudless blue of heaven 
And fired a conflagration in the copes 
Of beaten gold hung over the august 
House of Jehovah, whither Stephen now 
Tended unconsciously with wonted feet. 
That spectacle of splendor he, agaze 
With holden unbeholding eyes, saw not, 
Or, as but with his heart beholding, saw 
Only as goal of his obedience due. 
Down the abrupt declivity with speed, 
The westward-slanting slope of Olivet, 
Descending by a path stony and steep — 
The same whereon full often to and fro 
Had fared the Blessed Feet, between the dust 
And din and fever of Jerusalem, 
And the sweet purity and peace, the cool, 



1 86 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIII. 

The quiet, of that home in Bethany, 

His refuge ! — so descending, Stephen passed 

On his right hand Gethsemane, that moved 

Muse of the Master's agony for men. 

Crossed Kedron, and thence upward pressing gained 

Gate Susan, whence the temple nigh in view. 

'Perhaps,' thought he, 'perhaps, once more, against 

My expectation, I am thither brought 

To preach as when I answered Saul that day. 

The Lord will show me, in full time, alike 

What I must speak, and when, and where. ' 

So wrapt 
In welcome of the will unknown of God, 
And full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, 
Stephen with no amazement was afraid 
When, suddenly and rudely, in the street, 
A band in service of the Sanhedrim 
Set on him, and, by their authority, 
Seized him and brought him prisoner accused 
Of blasphemy before their council, there 
To be examined for his words and deeds. 
Captive in body, he in soul was free, 
Exulting in that glorious liberty. 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 187 

The sense of sonship to Almighty God. 

False witnesses, by Shimei suborned, 
And well their lesson taught by Shimei, 
Stood forth, who, to the teeth of Stephen, swore : 
" This person never ceases speaking words 
Against this holy place and Moses' law ; 
We heard him say that Jesus Nazarene 
Is going to destroy this place, and change 
The customs Moses handed down to us." 

All the assessors in the Sanhedrim, 
Fastening their eyes on Stephen, saw his face, 
As it had been an angel's, kindling shine. 
Saul marked it, and remembered how that day 
The lightning of that face had blinded him ! 

The high priest now, accosting Stephen, asked, 
" Are these things so ? " and Stephen thus replied : 
" Brethren and fathers, hearken to my words. 
With ears that tingle to the echoes yet. 
Perchance, of that high passionate harangue 
Which late from Saul ye heard concerning wounds 
Intended to this Jewish commonwealth. 
Ye now have heard forsooth again from these — 
How temple, law, and well-beloved ways 



1 88 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book VIII. 

Bequeathed us by our fathers from of old 
Are threatened in the message that I preach. 

" But, brethren, he mistakes who deems that God 
Is to one place, one race, one time, one clime, 
One mode of showing forth Himself, shut up. 
Consider through what phases manifold 
Has passed already heretofore God's way 
With men ; thence learn how lightly reckons God 
Of place or method. 

" Unto Abraham first 
Before he came to Charan, while he yet 
Dwelt in the land between the rivers, God 
Appeared. Nor in a place thus holy made, 
And glorious, by theophany, was he, 
Our father, suffered to abide. ' Arise, ' 
Jehovah said, * and get thee hence and come 
Into the land which I will show thee.' Then 
To Charan that obedient pilgrim passed. 
Nor there found he a settled rest. Again 
He journeyed and in Canaan, this fair land 
Wherein ye dwell, a sojourner became ; 
For here God gave him no inheritance, 
Promising only that in after times 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 189 

That childless father's children here should dwell. 

'* Meanwhile another change, and now what seems 
A long postponement of the purposed grace. 
Four hundred years should Abraham's seed sojourn 
As strangers in an alien land where they 
Should suffer bondage and an evil lot : 
Delivered thence with judgment on their foes, 
They then should hither come and here serve God. 

" Yet when the ripeness of the time was full, 
And Moses offered to deliver them. 
Our fathers doubted and refused his hand : 
But Moses notwithstanding led them out. 
And that same Moses prophesied of One 
To follow him as Prophet Whom must all 
Obey. Yet Moses, mouth of God to men, 
Obeyed our fathers not, but, in their hearts 
Gone back to Egypt, spurned him far aloof 
From them. Then followed that apostasy 
To idols, by Jehovah God chastised. 
On those offending, with captivity 
Which beyond Babylon carried them away. 

"Albeit Jehovah gave to Moses such 



IQO THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIII. 

Honor as never yet to man was given, 

Still much that Moses wrought was cast aside. 

That tabernacle, made by him express 

As God Himself had shown him in the mount, 

And so inwove with Hebrew history, 

God suffered this to pass, and in its place 

Preferred the temple built by Solomon. 

" Yet not in houses built with human hands 
Dwells the Most High; as, by His prophet, God 
Says, * On the heaven sit I as on a throne. 
And the earth make a footstool for My feet. ' 

* What house will ye build Me, ' the Lord inquires, 

* Or what shall be the place of Mine abode?' " 

So far a loth penurious decent heed 
The council had grudged out to Stephen ; here 
The scowl of curious incredulity, 
Wherewith they listened while as yet in doubt 
Whither might tend his drift of argument, 
Changed to a frown of deadly hate, as they 
Conclusion from his use of Scripture drew 
That Stephen glanced at overthrow indeed 
Meant for the temple. Instantly, alert 
To seize occasion, Shimei the sign 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. I91 

Gave to prepared conspirators, who now 
Obediently framed a menace grim 
Of gesture to denounce the speaker's aim ; 
And all the council, as one man, astir 
With insurrection, frowned a vehement 
Refusal to receive the word of God. 

Stephen beheld their aspect, and his soul, 
Dilating to a seraph's measure, filled 
With sudden prophet's zeal aflame for God. 
He forged his indignation into words 
Which, like bolts kindling, now he launched at them. 
He said: 

" Stiff-necked ye, and uncircumcised 
In heart and ears ! Always do ye resist 
The Holy Ghost ; as did your fathers, so 
Do ye. Which of the prophets did they not. 
Your fathers, persecute? Who showed before 
The coming of the Just One, those they slew; 
And of Him now have ye betrayers been 
And murderers. Ye who the law, received 
At angels' disposition, have not kept!" 

Cut to the heart at this, those councillors 



192 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book VIII. 

Gnashed with their teeth on Stephen. 

But that sight 
Stephen, his eyes rapt elsewhere, did not see. 
Full of the Holy Ghost, his face he raised, 
Gazing with sense undazzled into heaven, 
And saw the glory of God, and Jesus there. 
Not sitting, as at ease, but, as in act 
To help, standing, on the right hand of God. 
He testified that vision thus to men : 
"Opened see I the heavens and standing there 
The Son of Man on the right hand of God." 

Thereat a loud acclaim of hatred forth 
Burst in one voice from all the Sanhedrim. 
Full come was Shimei's opportunity. 
As started Mattathias to his feet 
In honest wrath instinctive, Shimei too 
Rose, counterfeiting wrath, sign understood 
By his complotters, who now likewise rose 
In simultaneous second and support. 
Setting the council in a wild turmoil. 
They stopped their ears, and all together ran 
On Stephen with tumultuary rage 
To thrust him forth without the city walls. 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 193 

The rush of such commotion through the streets, 
A torrent madness raging on its way, 
Raging and roaring, every moment more, 
Roused a wide wind of rumor and surmise 
TroubHng the air of all Jerusalem. 
Tremor of this reached Rachel's jealous sense, 
On edge — she knowing that the Sanhedrim 
Would that day summon Stephen to its bar — 
To fear the worst for Stephen and for Saul. 
But Ruth, her home more distant, she at home 
Urged by importunate cares which for her wrought 
Some present respite from the strain and pain 
Of that farewell with Stephen — vexing thought ! 
Too certain to return insistently, 
In waking and in sleeping vision, soon. 
At night upon her bed, unbidden guest, 
And haunt her bosom with sad memories. 
And vague, unhappy, beckoning shapes of fears ! — 
Ruth, so precluded, nothing knew of all. 

Rachel, with other women of the Way 
Like-minded with herself, pathetic group ! 
Drew timorous nigh the ragged rushing rim 
Of that confusion pouring toward the gate 
Which northward opened on Damascus road. 



194 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book VI IL 

The self-same path it was whereby had walked 
A little while before, bearing His cross, 
The Saviour of mankind toward Calvary. 
Stephen remembered, and, remembering, went 
Both meekly more, and more triumphantly. 
To suffer like his Lord without the gate. 
He said within himself, ' I follow Him ; 
I feel His footprints underneath my feet' 
Those women watched the martyr every step, 
And with hands waved signalled him sympathy. 
Such helpless help was help the more to him — 
Who had no need, but gave them back again 
Their sympathy in looks of strength and cheer 
Which bade them too be faithful unto death, 
As they saw him that day. The peace of God, 
Lodged in his heart — a trust from Christ, Whose word 
Was, " Peace I leave with you, My peace to you 
I give ; not as the world gives give I you : 
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let 
It be afraid " — that peace steadfast he bore 
Amid the tumult round him, the one thing 
Not shaken in a shaken universe, 
Like the earth's axle sleeping and the earth 
Whirling from centre to circumference ! 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 195 

Not yet the rout had reached the city gate, 
When, lo ! a sudden halt, a sudden hush, 
Arrested and becalmed the multitude. 
A file of Roman soldiers from the fort, 
With swift, straight, sure lock-step, steel-clad, that 

clanged. 
Flowed like a rill of flowing mercury. 
Heavy yet nimble, through a street that crossed 
The course of that mad progress, and, athwart 
Its head abutting, stayed ; the clang of pause 
Rang sharper than the clang of the advance. 
The leader, a centurion, sternly spoke : 
" What means this uproar .? Seek ye to provoke 
Your rulers 1 Love ye, then, your yoke so well 
Ye fain would feel it heavier on your necks 1 
Sedition into insurrection grows 
Full easily, and this sedition seems. 
Speak, who can tell, and say. What would ye ?" 

Prompt, 
Then, Shimei, of the foremost, stepping forth 
Said ; 

" This is no sedition as might seem ; 
A crushing of sedition rather. We, 
The Sanhedrim" — wherewith a smirk and bow 



196 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIII. 

From Shimei, with wave of hand swept round 
Upon his colleagues in their sorry plight 
Dishevelled, seemed, in sneering cynic sort, 
To introduce them with mock dignity — 
"We Sanhedrim this fellow caught employed 
In stirring up sedition, and our zeal 
For peace and order under Roman rule 
Inflamed us, following our forefathers' way, 
To visit death on him without the gate. 
We beg you will allow us to proceed 
And put to proof of act our loyalty " — 
Hot breath, half hiss, from Mattathias here — 
"This script perhaps will help determine you." 

And Shimei handed up a tablet writ. 
The Roman read : 

" Let this disorder pass ; 
It may be useful. Watch it well." 

The seal 
Once more with care examined, parley had 
With Shimei, whose crafty answers meet 
Each wary scruple of the officer, 
And sign is given to let the rout proceed. 

Meantime a different scene has quietly 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 1 97 

Been passing unpercelved. That company 

Of ministering women Rachel found, 

Salome, and the Marys, blessed name ! 

With others who had followed and bewailed 

When Jesus suffered — these, joined now by those 

From Bethany, with Lazarus, prevailed 

To edge their way ungrudged through the close ranks 

Of idle gazers round not undisposed 

Themselves to sympathize, until they stood 

Nigh Stephen, and in undertones could speak 

With him, and hear his words. 

*' Weep not for me, " 
He said, " ye blessed ! I am well content. 
I think how short the way is, not how sharp. 
To Jesus where just now I saw Him. There 
He stood in heaven on the right hand of God. 
He seemed to lean toward me with arms outstretched 
As if at once to take me to Himself! 
I spring toward Him with joy unutterable. 
I shall not feel the pain, which will but speed 
Me thither. He hath overcome the world. 
Be of good cheer, beloved, ye who wait 
A little longer to behold His face. 
For you too He hath overcome the world. 



198 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book Vlll. 

Be strong, be faithful, be obedient, 
A little while — and we shall meet again 
Safe, happy, in the New Jerusalem, 
Forever and forever with the Lord. 

" But Ruth, my wife, yet unbelieving — care 
For her and for my children ! God will give 
All to our prayers. And Husband He will be 
To her, and Father to the fatherless. " 

Rachel to Lazarus whispered : 

"Tell him I, 
Rachel, Saul's sister, would do something. Ask 
What I may do for Ruth, to testify 
A sister's sorrow for a brother's fault. 
And let him not think hardly, not too hardly, 
Of Saul who wrongs him so ! " 

And Lazarus 
Told Stephen, who, with look benign addressed 
To Rachel, said : 

" Thou, Rachel, thou thyself, 
No other, shalt to Ruth my wife convey 
Her husband's very last farewell ; good-night 
Call it, and bid her meet me there to say 
Good-morning. Comfort her with words. To Saul 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR, I99 

Say — when the time comes he will hear, not now — 
That all is well, is wholly well. I go — 
And that is well — perhaps in part through him, 
Which seems not well, but is, by grace of Christ, 
Who thus, in part through me — and surely that 
Likewise is well — erelong will make of Saul, 
In Stephen's room, a more than Stephen both 
To preach and suffer for His name. This hope 
Be thine, Rachel, and God be with thee, child ! " 

Martha, her hand as ready as her heart. 
Had other cheer provided than of words. 
' The willing spirit, if the flesh be weak, 
May faint, * she thought, ' and angels strengthening 

Him 
Brought Jesus succor in Gethsemane. 
May I not be his angel, Stephen's, now, 
And his flesh brace to bear his agony 1 ' 
She said to Stephen : 

" I have brought thee here 
A cake of barley and a honeycomb. 
I pray thee eat and cheer therewith thy heart." 
" God bless thee, Martha, for thy loving thought ! " 
Said Stephen ; and he took the food from her 



200 THE EPIC OE" SA UL, Book VIII. 

And ate it, giving thanks before them all. 

And all with him gave thanks, for nothing else 

Could so have cheered them in their sad estate 

As thus to see their friend at such an hour 

Cheering himself with food, his appetite 

Not troubled by least trouble of the mind, 

And he approved superior to his lot, 

Not by a strain of high heroic pride, 

Not by access of transient ecstasy, 

But simply by the sober confidence. 

Well-grounded, of the soul enduring all 

As seeing Him Who is invisible. 

Besides, had any deemed that Martha erred, 

Inopportunely ministering to the flesh. 

When spirit unsupported by the flesh 

As well had conquered, and more gloriously, 

Haply, too, letting this their thought escape. 

Unmeant, in look or gesture, to her pain — 

Such might, in Stephen's gracious act, have heard 

As if a silent echo of those words — 

Ineffably persuasive sweet reproof 

At once and soft assuagement of unease — 

** Why trouble ye the woman ? She hath wrought 

A good work for Me." 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR, 20I 

But the Sanhedrim, 
Permitted by the Roman to resume 
Their way with Stephen, now to him once more 
Their notice turned. Within their heart enraged. 
First, to have met with such a check, and then. 
Scarce less, so to have had the check removed — 
Both this and that their sense of bondage chafed — 
111 brooked it they to see what now they saw. 
Their prisoner in calm converse with his friends. 

" Begone ! " to these they cried. " For shame to 
show 
Untimely softness thus to whom ye see 
Your rulers judge worthy of death. Begone ! " 

One churl among those councillors was found, 
When Stephen gently bade his friends give way, 
Even for his own sake, who could least endure 
To see them suflfer roughness, most unmeet 
For such as they — one graceless churl was found 
To raise his hand at Stephen speaking so 
And smite him on the mouth. A wail at this 
Broke from those women, and their hair they tore 
In passion of compassion and of wrath 



202 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book VIII. 

Holy as love. But Stephen was most meek, 
And only in a shadowed look expressed 
Pain at such painful sympathy with pain. 
This seen by those, they soon responsively 
Resumed composure like his own, and walked, 
Following, molested not, at small remove 
From the beloved martyr, cheering him, 
And cheered, with sense of some society. 

So, on, with going less precipitate, 
And less vociferous rage, but not less fell. 
Moved the infatuate multitude, repressed 
And maddened, both at once, to feel themselves 
Only by sufferance masters of the fate 
Of Stephen, and their very footsteps timed 
To regular and slow behind those few 
Austere, impassive, automatic men 
Armed, who, though few they might be, yet meant 
Rome. 

Arrived at length at the accursed spot, 
They stay. The ground about was strewn with stones, 
Rejected fragments from the quarry cleft, 
Flakes from the mason's chisel, interspersed 
Dilapidations from the city walls 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 203 

Twice overthrown and razed, or missiles thence 
Once by defenders on assailants hurled. 
They stay, and, Stephen stationed in the midst 
Where, first, a circle of spectators round 
Was ordered in disorderly array. 
Prepare to act their dreadful blasphemy. 

Within, opposed to Stephen, Saul stood, pale. 
Blanched with resolve, anguished, and tremulous, 
But in nerve shaken, not in will, to take 
His part. Saul's part was only to consent. 
Perhaps the eyes, the beautiful sad eyes, 
Of Rachel, dark and liquid ever, now 
Unfathomably deep with unshed tears — 
Perhaps such eyes, his sister s, fixed on him, 
He seeing not because he would not see. 
Wrought yet some holy spell that charmed him back 
Insensibly from part more active there. 
But his consent Saul testified with sign 
Open to all to see, and understood. 
He held the outer robes thrown off of those 
Who, disencumbered so, might, with main strength, 
And aim made sure, the better speed to fling 
At that meek heavenly man the murderous stone. 



204 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIII. 

Those witnesses malign who had forsworn 
Stephen to this, were first to cast at him 
The stone to slay. There Stephen stood, his face, 
His glory-smitten face, upturned to heaven, 
And his arms thither raised as if to meet 
The down-stretched arms of Jesus from on high. 
It was a sight both beautiful to see 
And piteous. The angels might have wept, 
Who saw it, but that they more deeply saw, 
And saw the pity in the beauty lost, 
Like a few drops of water on a fire 
That only serve to feed the flames more bright. 

At the first shower of stones at him with cry 
Of self-exciting execration flung, 
Stephen, with answering cry, as if of one 
Running to refuge and to sanctuary, 
Betook him to the covert of the Wings 
That trembled with desire to be outstretched 
Once over doomed Jerusalem unfain. 
And, " Jesus, Lord, receive my spirit ! " said. 
That his friends heard and echoing said ''Amen !" 
But they the flying stones saw not, nor saw 
Alight the flying stones upon their friend ; 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR, 205 

For they too turned their faces upward all, 

And, gazing unimaginable depths 

Beyond the seen, beheld the glory there, 

Wherein the scandal and the mystery 

Of visible things vanished, like shadows plunged 

In the exceeding brightness of the sun, 

Or were transformed to make the glory more. 

Like discords conquered heightening harmony. 

With the next flight of stones, unwatched likewise, 
Stephen, raised far above the fierce effect. 
Stinging or stunning, of the cruel blows. 
Spoke heavenward once again, not for himself 
Petitioning now, but pleading for his foes. 
His foes already had prevailed to bring 
The martyr to his knees, and, on his knees, 
With loud last voice from lips inviolate yet — 
As if that angel chant at Bethlehem 
Still sounded, " Peace on earth, good will to men," 
Or that diviner tone from Calvary, 
" Forgive them, for they know not what they do " — • 
One ransomed pure and perfect human note 
Threading the dissonant noise with melody — 
He prayed, " Lord Jesus, lay not Thou this sin 



206 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIIL 

To their account." Therewith he fell asleep. 
That holy prayer exhaled his breath away, 
And on his breath exhaled to heaven in prayer 
His spirit thither aspired and was with Christ. 

As Stephen fell asleep, the sun went down ; 
But over Olivet the great full moon 
Rose brightening. ' So,' thought Stephen's friends of 

him, 
* His life has been extinguished to our eyes. 
Only elsewhere to shine, but while we wait 
For the new day to dawn that lingers, lo, 
His memory instead shall give us light. 
Not splendid like the sun, yet like the moon 
Lovely ! * 

Thus comforting themselves, they saw 
The murderers of their friend above his corse 
Build roughly of the stones that smote him dead 
A kind of cairn in mockery of a tomb. 
Melted away meanwhile the multitude 
In silence, and, soon after, all were gone 
Save the true lovers of the man. Then these 
Gathered together round the accursed spot, 
Now hallowed, where he stood to suffer, where 



Book VIII. STEPHEN MARTYR. 207 

He prayed, and where he fell, and whence he rose 
Deathless, leaving the sacred body there, 
Dead, desolate of the spirit, but still dear. 
Most dear to them. And so, with many tears 
Fast falling that nigh blinded them, they took 
From off the body, one by one, the stones — 
Almost as if they loved them, with such care ! — 
Until his face, his fair disfeatured face. 
And his form marred and broken, open lay 
To the mild moon that seemed to sympathize. 
And touched and softened all with healing beams. 

" Let us bear hence the sacred clay, " they said, 

" And wash it from the pool of Siloam. " 

Then Lazarus, with three fellow-helpers more — 

Nathanael, Israelite indeed, was there, 

Joseph of Arimathaea too had come. 

Later, and Nicodemus, by nightfall. 

These were the chosen four, with Lazarus — 

Making a litter of their robes, took up 

The noble form that lately Stephen wore, 

And gently carried it to Siloam. 

With soft lustration there at loving hands. 

The dust and blood were wholly washed away ; 



2o8 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book VIII. 

The hair and beard then decently arranged, 
With skill that hid the wounds on cheek or brow, 
The eyelids closed on eyes that saw no more, 
The scarce cold palms folded upon the breast, 
Stephen it seemed indeed just fallen asleep. 
Then they were glad that Ruth would see him so, 
So peaceful and so beautiful asleep, 
Expecting soon to waken satisfied ! 
" To-morrow will be time enough," they said, 
"To cell Ruth — let her sleep to-night." But Ruth 
Slept not, or if she slept, slept but to dream 
Of Stephen and his last hands on her head. 

Under the balmy moon, up Olivet 
To Bethany they bore the holy dust. 
And there, beneath the roof that sheltered oft 
The Man who had not where to rest His head, 
They laid the body down to dreamless sleep ; 
And slept themselves until the morrow morn. 



BOOK IX. 

RUTH AND RACHEL 



Very early in the morning, Rachel, charged with this office 
by Stephen, breaks to Ruth the news of her husband's death. 
The two then go together to the place where the body of 
Stephen is laid. There, Ruth, kneeling in prayer beside her 
martyred husband, repentantly accepts his Lord for hers, be- 
coming a Christian. Rachel, having hastily visited her home, 
to find Saul gone thence with purpose not to return, leaves 
the house in her maid's care and goes back to Ruth, to whom, 
being requested to do so, she tells the story of Stephen's 
stoning. Then the funeral of Stephen takes place, with a 
memorial discourse pronounced, and an elegy recited, at the 
tomb. 



RUTH AND RACHEL. 

The morrow morn broke fair in Bethany, 
And Ruth rose early from unquiet sleep ; 
Rachel likewise, who slept in Mary's house. 
The sun had not yet risen, but in the west 
The moon hung whitening opposite the dawn, 
When Ruth, her children left asleep, went forth 
To feel the freshness of the morning air 
Without, and water from the village well 
To draw, both for the slaking of her thirst 
And for the cooling of her brow that burned 
And of her throbbing temples. At the well 
Rachel she met who earlier still was forth 
On the like errand. The two women hailed 
And kissed each other. Ruth to Rachel then 
Said : '' Thou art not, I trow, this morning come 
Hither the long way from Jerusalem ?" 

" Nay, Ruth," said Rachel, " here the yesternight 
With Mary and Martha I abode a guest. " 



212 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

" How fresh the wind is," Ruth said, ** hither blown 
From off the western sea ! Us, underneath 
The crest of Olivet, it lights upon 
Descending, broken, like a breath from heaven. 
What a delicious balm !" 

"About my brow," 
Said Rachel, " gratefully I feel the air, 
Attempered so, soft flowing, as if one 
That loved me like a mother gently stroked 
My temples to undo a band of pain 
Bound round them." 

*'And, in sooth," the other said, 
Now looking narrowly at RacheFs face, 
" Thou seemest sad of favor, Rachel. Thou, 
Thou too, so young, hast then thy cause to grieve ! 
It is a sad world and a weary. But — 
Forgive me if such quick instinctive fears 
Be selfish, I am wife and mother — aught 
Of evil tidings bringest thou me ? Spare not 
To speak. Thou wilt but answer to the dreams 
I had this night, portending nameless ill. 
Stephen — I fear for him. He yesterday 
Left me beyond his wont oppressed in spirit, 
And has not since returned. Strange — yet not strange ; 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL, 213 

Sometimes the livelong night he spends in prayer 

Alone upon the top of Qlivet 

Or in the shadows of Gethsemane." 

" Ruth," Rachel said, " the Angel of the Lord 
Round His beloved, like the mountains round 
Jerusalem, encampeth ever ; he 
Of God's beloved is, and guarded well ! " 

But Ruth scarce listened ; she insisting said : 
" Perhaps of Stephen some report thou bringest, 
Hint doubtless of new danger threatening him ! " 

" Nay, Ruth, no longer danger threatens now 
Thy husband ; that is past, and he is safe. " 

" Thank God," said Ruth ; " but stay, I dare not yet 
Thank God. Tell me, have then our rulers ceased 
To frown on Stephen preaching Jesus Christ '^, 
Or Stephen, will he cease and preach no more '^ 
This cannot be, for Stephen is such stuff 
As never yet did bend to mortal beck ; 
And that — our rulers surely have not changed 
Thus suddenly their mind. Thou art deceived, 
They have deceived thee — Stephen is not safe; 
It is their guile to make us think him safe, 



214 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book IX. 

He off his guard will fall an easier prey 

Into their hands. Rachel, it was not kind, 

Not faithful in thee so to be deceived. 

More love had made thee more suspicious. I 

Suspect forever everybody ; thee 

Now I suspect. Thou keepest something back, 

Or haply palterest with a double sense. 

Rachel, I charge thee, I adjure thee, speak 

And tell me all. Stephen is dead ! Say that — 

Is dead ! Thou meantest that by, ' He is safe. ' 

They have stoned him, stoned my husband, stoned 

the man 
That was the truest Hebrew of them all ! " 

Though by her words Ruth challenged frank reply, 
Yet by her tones and by her eager looks 
She deprecated more what she invoked. 
This Rachel saw, and answered not a word. 
Then Ruth gainsaid what Rachel would not say : 
" They have not done it, could not do it, he — 
Rachel, it is not true, unsay it, quick, 
It was a cruel jest to tease me so. 
Thou art not a wife, thou art not a mother, else 
Thou never hadst conceived so ill a jest !" 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 215 

Rachel was tortured, but she could not speak, 
And Ruth, secure in sense of respite yet, 
Went on invoking what she would not hear : 
" Why art thou silent ? Speak, and keep not back 
The truth, whatever it may be ; there's naught 
So soothing and so healing as the truth. 
But I will not believe that he is dead. 
Thou didst not know my husband. Dead ! dead ! dead ! 
I tell thee, Rachel, that is something past 
Imagining dreadful, hopeless. To be dead 
Is — not to love, and not to speak to those 
Who loved and love thee, not to hear them speak, 
Saying they loved and love thee and lament 
They ever gave thee cause of grief and now 
Are different and would die a thousand deaths 
To have been different then when thou couldst 

know — 
Death, Rachel, — but of death what canst thou learn, 
For thou art but a child and never wast. 
Never, to such a husband such a wife — 
To vex the noblest heart that ever broke ! " 

Rachel at first had listened with disma)'', 
And nothing found to answer to Ruth's words. 



2l6 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

Whose words indeed flowed on and made no pause 

For answer, as if she in truest truth 

Sought not the answer that she seemed to seek, 

Would fain postpone it rather, or avert. 

But when at length the utterance of Ruth's thought 

From converse passed into soliloquy 

And the deep secret of her soul revealed, 

Then Rachel caught a welcome gleam of hope. 

A sign of grace she saw or seemed to see 

At work for Ruth within her heart of grief, 

Transmuting human sorrow to divine 

Repentance, and for pain preparing peace. 

" Let us go in together," Rachel said. 
For they by this were nigh to Ruth's abode, 
" Let us go in where we may be withdrawn 
From note of such as here might mark our speech 
Or action ; I have word from him to thee. " 
Then they went in, and Ruth bestirred herself 
To make a cheer of welcome for her guest. 
That momentary truce to troubled thought 
For Ruth, and interspace of quietness 
From her own words which could not choose but flow 
With helpless importunity till then, 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 217 

Gave Rachel needed chance to speak. She said : 

" O Ruth, thy husband fell asleep last night, 

And slept a sweeter sleep than thine or mine, 

A deep sweet sleep, a happy sleep, a blest. 

Thou wouldst not wake him thence for worlds on 

worlds. 
He felt before he slept that he should sleep, 
And me, whom God our Father let be nigh, 
Stephen bade bear a last good-night to thee. 
He did not think the night was very long 
Before him for his sleeping, and his wish 
Was thou shouldst meet him presently to say 
Good-morning. This was his true message, Ruth." 

The ineffably serene steadfast regard 
Of Rachel's eyes, that, out of liquid depths 
Unsounded, looked angelic love and truth, 
With pity mingled, equal measure — tears 
Orbing them large, shot through and through with 

light 
Of heavenly hope for Ruth — but, more than all 
A subtly sweet insinuating tone. 
Most musical, of softness in the voice, 
That gently wound into the listener's heart — 



2i8 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book IX. 

These, with what else, who knows ? of help from 

Heaven, 
Wrought a bright miracle of change in Ruth. 
She had been hard and dry, a desert rock ; 
The rock was smitten now with Moses' rod. 
Ruth gushed in gracious tears, she veiled herself 
With weeping, as sometimes a precipice 
Veils itself dim with mist of cataract. 
And Rachel wept with Ruth, until Ruth said : 
" But where is Stephen, Rachel ? It might be 
They, meaning death, yet did not compass death. 
Such things have been ; haste, let us go and see. 
Monstrous it were, if he should need me — I 
The while here sitting weeping idle tears ! " 

" Come, " Rachel said, and took her by the hand. 
So hand in hand they went to Mary's house. 
The elder guided as the younger led. 
And neither speaking, stilled with solemn thought. 
Mary and Martha met the twain, with mute. 
Subdued, affectionate greeting, at the door. 
And, understanding without word their wish. 
Straight led them inward, with a quietude 
Of gesture that spoke peace and peace infused, 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 219 

To the place where in quietude reposed 
That slumberer late so violently lulled 
To this so placid sleep. The room was flushed 
With hue of gold in hangings round the walls 
And rugs of russet muffling deep the floor, 
That made a kind of inner light diffused, 
Like sunshine without sun and shadowless. 
A golden-curtained window opened east. 
And east the upturned face of Stephen looked, 
Lying there motionless in that fast sleep — 
So lying that, had he his eyeHds raised, 
He without moving might have seen the morn. 
The rest, with one accord not entering, stood 
About the door without, silent, and saw 
While the wife sole went to the husband's side. 
That instant, lo, from out the breaking dawn 
A level sunbeam through the curtain slipped 
And touched the fair translucent face with light. 
Ruth marked it and she testified and said, 
FalHng upon her knees beside the couch : 
" I take it as a token. Lord, from Thee ; 
Even so send Thou Thy light into my heart ! 
Lo, by the side of him made beautiful 
In death, of whom I was unworthy, here 



220 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

I give myself — alas, that it should be 

Too late for him to have known it ! — to his Lord. 

I trust to be forgiven for my sin ! 

I thank Thee that I was not weight enough 

Upon him to prevail against Thy might 

Within him and prevent this sacrifice — 

Accomplished all without my help, nay, all 

In spite of my resistance ! O my God, 

How hast Thou humbled me ! To have had no part, 

Wife with her husband to have borne no part — 

Save hindering what she could ! — when such a deed 

Of martyrdom for Christ was possible ! 

Behold, O Lord, thus late I take my part ! 

This now is also mine, as well as his, 

This sacrifice. I have offered him to Thee ! 

And if my share be heavier even than his — 

To live bereaved more grievous martyrdom 

Than to have died — this too is my desert, 

Accept the witness of my widowhood ! " 

Ruth ceased, but rose not from her knees, still fixed 
In posture as if grown a pillar of prayer. 
Then those three women came and knelt with tier 
Beside her dead, a silent fellowship 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 221 

Of sympathy in sacrifice ; but soon 

Rachel and Mary, one on either side 

Of Ruth, borne by the self-same impulse each, 

Each at the self-same instant borne, unto 

The self-same beautiful appeal, pure love's 

Pure touch, stole softly each a hand in hers. 

Each plighting hand so proffered Ruth upraised 

Slowly and solemnly as with a kind 

Of consecrating gesture to her lips, 

And kissing seemed to seal a sacrament. 

Then she arose, and all arose with her. 

When Martha, not forgotten, likewise shared. 

She too, with Ruth the kiss of sisterhood. 

So, never a word between them spoken, all 

Went backward and withdrew, Ruth last, who saw 

That sunshine glorifying Stephen's brow, 

And bore it thence, Shekinah in her heart. 

Her countenance thus illumined from within. 

The mother to her orphan children went, 

And moved, a light, about her household ways. 

She knew that others would with holy heed 

Prepare that holy dust for burial. 

But Rachel was more comfortless than Ruth. 



2 22 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

Rest in her spirit found she none — until, 

First having broken fast, but sparingly, 

She hastened with winged footsteps to her home. 

There her maid told her Saul went early forth 

Leaving this message for his sister: " Here 

Bide, if thou wilt ; this house be still thy home. 

But I go hence, whither I cannot tell, 

Nor yet for how long absence ; to what end — • 

Thou knowest. Cheer thee well ! " The little maid 

Looked rueful and perplexed, but nothing asked, 

As nothing Rachel told her, save to say : 

" Quick, bring thine elder sister, thou and she 

Shall keep the house together for a time. 

I also go, my little maid " — wherewith 

Her little maid, now weeping, Rachel kissed — 

" I also go, but weep not, I shall come 

Again, I trust, in happier times. Farewell ! " 

Then Rachel straight to Ruth's abode returned. 

" Glad am I thou hast come once more," said Ruth, 
" For I have wished to ask thee many things. 
How came his dreadful chance of martyrdom 
On Stephen ? I can bear to hear it all, 
Since all is done and past and — 'He is safe,' 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL, 223 

As thou saidst, Rachel ! " 

Tenderly Ruth smiled, 
With tears behind her smiles that did not fall. 
Then Rachel said : 

'* I cannot tell thee all 
As having all beheld, but this I heard, 
That Stephen gave a noble testimony 
Before the council who had cited him ; 
That there his face shone like an angel's, God 
Himself so swearing for His servant, while 
Against him swore false witnesses suborned 
By Shimei ; that his enemies could not bear 
The fierceness of the love with which in wrath 
He burned for God against their wickedness, 
And so they rushed upon him violently 
And thrust him forth without the city walls. 
But God beheld their threatening, and He sent 
His Romans to withstand them for a while. 
Then we that loved and honored him drew nigh, 
And would have spoken words of cheer to him. 
But he — O Ruth, thou shouldst have seen him then ! 
I never can describe to thee how fair 
Thy husband was to look upon, while he. 
As steadfast as a star and as serene. 



224 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book DL 

And not less lovely-luminous to our eyes, 
Stood there amid the angry Sanhedrim 
And to us spake such heavenly words of cheer ! 
He spake of thee, Ruth, and I think God gave 
His spirit comfort in good hope for thee. 
For, ' God will give all to our prayers, ' said he, 
And added, ' Husband Fie will be to her, 
And Father to the fatherless. ' " 

Thereat 
Ruth's tears as from a fresh-oped fountain flowed, 
And eased her aching heart, too full before 
Of love, remorseful love, for perfect peace. 
Rachel with Ruth wept tears of sympathy ; 
But with the sweet and wholesome in her tears 
Mixed salt and bitter, for she thought of Saul. 
Ruth at length ceased to weep and yearning said : 
" And then those Romans let them work their will ! " 

" On Stephen's body, yea, Ruth, " Rachel said, 
"But on his spirit they could have no power." 

" The stones," said Ruth — 

"The stones, Ruth," Rachel said, 
" God gave His angds charge concerning them — 
So verily I believe — and strictly bade, 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL, 22 S 

' Lo, let these slay, but see ye that they do 

No harm unto My prophet.' So the stones, 

They slew, but hurt not. God translated him ; 

He rose triumphant in meek majesty. 

I should have told thee, Ruth, that while he stood 

Before the council, he looked up and saw 

Jesus in heaven on the right hand of God — 

There standing ; this he testified to all. 

It was as if his faithful Lord had risen 

To side with Stephen in his agony. 

So, when they stoned him, Stephen upward spoke, 

' Lord Jesus, take my spirit' ; then once more, 

' Lord, lay not Thou this sin unto their charge.' 

This he said kneeling and so fell asleep." 

The two some space sat musing silently ; 
Then Ruth : 

" I feel that thou hast told me all 
Most truly, Rachel, as most tenderly. 
Thus, then, God giveth His belovdd sleep. 
Thus also ! And He doeth all things well ! 
Amen!" 

Silence once more, that seemed surcharged 
With deepening inarticulate amen 



2 26 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

From both, and Ruth, regarding Rachel, said : 
" Even so ! But, Rachel, us not yet doth God 
Will thus to sleep. Still, otherwise to sleep — 
For His beloved are not also we? — 
May be God's gift to us. Thou surely needest, 
Body and spirit, rest." 

And Rachel said : 
" The words of Stephen leap unto my lips 
For answering thee; and these were Stephen's words 
' God bless thee, Martha, for thy loving thought ! ' 
And this makes me remember that one thing 
Done yesterday I missed to tell thee of 
For Martha, faithful heart, forecasting well, 
Brought food for Stephen that might hearten him 
To bear whatever he had need to bear, 
A cake of barley and a honeycomb. 
'God bless thee, Martha, for thy loving thought!' 
Said Stephen, and so took the food from her, 
And ate it giving thanks before us all. 
He ate it with such look of appetite. 
It cheered us with a sense of freedom his 
From any discomposure of the mind. 
O Ruth, in His pavilion God did hide 
Thy husband, and his soul had perfect peace!" 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL, 2 

" Was it not done like Martha ? " Ruth replied ; 
"And done like Stephen too. For courtesy 
Bloomed like a flower to grace his daily life. 
I used to wonder at it — and I now 
Wonder I did not see where such a flower, 
Where, and where only, such a flower could find 
Rooting to flourish in a world like this ! 
He always told me that the heart of Christ 
Nourished what good in him, or beautiful, 
I found — or fancied, as he smiled and said. 
But I — Oh, holden heart! — I did not see. 
And now it is too late, too late, for him 
To have known ! It may be that he knows it, yea, 
But now to know it is not wholly such 
As to have known it then, to have known it then ! 
Alas, there is not any chance of hope 
Behind us, Rachel ; hope is all before. 
Let us look onward ; we in hope were saved, 
So Stephen used to say, and, ' I go hence 
In comfort of some hope,' were his last words, 
Or of his last, to me — concerning me, 
Spoken with a sad cheerfulness that now 
Breaks me with such a surge of memory ! 
But this is endless, let it here have end. 



2 28 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IX, 

Come, Rachel, see, the sun rides high, come thou, 

And I will bring thee to a quiet room, 

Safe from the sun, where thou shalt rest a while." 

So Rachel followed Ruth, not ill content 
To be alone for thought if not for sleep. 
Her will was not to sleep ; but weariness. 
With youth and health, was stronger, and she slept. 

Already, when she woke, the sun halfway 
From his high noon had down the western slope 
Of sky descended, and she hearkening heard 
A rumorous noise without upon the ways, 
The stir of movement, steps of many feet, 
With sound, muffled, of many voices nigh. 
That startled her from sweet forgetfulness 
To sudden sad remembrance of the things 
That had been, and that were, and were to be. 
Instinctive up she sprang, for, " Lo," she said, 
" They gather unto Stephen's funeral ; 
Behooves that I be ready with all speed." 
Therewith upon her knees she sank and prayed 
A prayer for Ruth and for Ruth's little ones. 
Widowed and orphaned by so dear a death, 
And for herself — and for her brother Saul ! 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 229 

Then her heart swelled to a capacious wish, 

And, anguished in one swift vicarious throe 

Of great desire for help and grace divine, 

She embraced the total church of Jesus Christ — 

Of such a guide, of such a stay, bereaved ! 

Then Rachel, with the Everlasting Arms 

Invisibly, nigh visibly, around 

Her to sustain her steps, came forth, as one 

That meekly walks leaning on her beloved, 

And begged of Ruth that she might sister be 

To her, that day, and thenceforth ever, mourn 

As sister with her in the eyes of all. 

" For I am lonely, " Rachel said, " O Ruth, 

As thou art ; lonely let us be, we twain, 

Together, widows both, and mix our tears. 

For also I am widow, as thou art, 

Yet not as thou — since me a heavier stroke 

Makes widow, who have never been a wife!" 

Ruth answered, though she did not understand, 
And kissed her friend in plight of sisterhood. 

So they two, clad alike from out Ruth's store 
Of raiment, clad in sad attire alike, 
As sisters walked together side by side — 



230 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IX, 

Ruth's children with them, grieved, not knowing 

why — 
To where, from Mary's house and Martha's borne, 
With grievous lamentation, by good men 
Devout, the flower and choice of Israel, 
Was laid the sacred dust of Stephen down 
And sealed within a rock-hewn sepulchre. 

Joseph of Arimathaea, he who sought 
And gained from Pilate leave to take away 
The body of Jesus crucified, had sent 
To Bethany, betimes, before the hour 
Of burial, rich spices, a great weight, 
Aloes and myrrh, with linen pure and fine, 
To wrap the body of Stephen for his tomb. 
Mary, the mother of the Lord, with John 
Beloved of Jesus, loving her as son, 
Came to that feast of sorrow bringing tears, 
To Ruth medicinal more than any, wept 
By one who had so learned to weep. So there 
With sackcloth worn and ashes on the head, 
They wailed aloud, that Hebrew company, 
Women and men, they beat the breast, they rent 
Their raiment, until one stood forth who said : 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 23 1 

" Enough already has to grief been given. 

Us it befits not here, for Stephen dead, 

To mourn as mourn others who have no hope. 

He was a burning and a shining light, 

And we a season in his beams were glad. 

Glory to God who kindled him for us ! 

Glory to God who hath from us withdrawn 

His shining, and now hides him in Himself! 

We thought we could not spare him, but God knew. 

Let all be as God wills Who knows. Amen !" 

" Amen ! " they solemnly responded all, 
And he who spake these things went on and said : 
" The Lord anointed Stephen with the oil 
Of gladness in the gift of speech above 
His fellows. How he flamed insufferably, 
In words that leapt out of his mouth, like swords 
Out of their sheaths, enkindled to devour 
The wicked ! When he spoke, flew seraphim 
And bore from off the altar living coals 
Of God which, laid upon his lips, purged them 
To utter those pure words that purified. 
What zeal, what wisdom, what fixed faith, what power ! 
He stood our bulwark, he advanced our sword. 



232 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book IX. 

And single seemed an insupportable host. 

Yet this puissant soldier of the truth, 

To disobedience so implacable, 

How gentle and how placable he was 

To all obedience ! He was like his Lord, 

That Lion of the tribe of Judah, named 

Also the Lamb of God. No words had he 

Save words of vivid flame, sudden and swift 

And deadly like the lightning, for God's foes ; 

But for the little flock of Jesus, balm 

His speech — into those lips such grace was poured ! 

" Nor less in him for mighty work than word 
The Holy Ghost a fountain was of power. 
From him or through him what a plenteous stream 
Flowed like the river of God in miracle ! 
Signs, wonders, gifts of healing, heavenly powers, 
Innumerable flocked about his hand. 
Like doves unto their windows flying home, 
Waiting there eager to perform his will. 

" A prophet of the elder time, reborn 
Into the spirit of this latter age, 
Was Stephen. Thanking God for him, let us 
Together and steadfastly pray that He 



Book IX. RUTH AND RACHEL. 233 

Who made the great Elijah live again 

In John the Baptist, give us Stephen back 

In resurrection from his tomb with power. 

Thus shall we pray as himself prophesied — 

For Stephen, you remember, glanced at this 

In prophecy ; unless not prophecy 

It were, but only generous hope, with wish 

To comfort Rachel, when he spake to her 

Of grace to come upon her brother yet — 

We shall so seek what seems it he foresaw, 

If we ask Jesus to make captive Saul ! " 

That speaker ceased, and then a prophetess 
Among the women there took up a wail, 
Which triumphed into gladness as it grew : 

" Is fallen, is fallen, a prince in Israel ! 
Woe, while it yet was day, his sun went down ! 
Daughters of Judah, mourn for Stephen slain ! 

" Mourn for a candle of the Lord put out, 
A torch of noble witness quenched in blood ; 
Wear sackcloth of thick darkness and bewail ! 

" Repent, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
Repent, forsake your wickedness of woe ; 



234 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book IX. 

Look up, look up, the quenched torch burns a star! 

" Is risen, is risen ; behold, at the right hand 
On high sits he of his ascended Lord ; 
Rejoice, rejoice, for Stephen could not die ! 

" Comfort ye Ruth ; thrice among women she 
Lives blessed, who, from wife to him, became. 
Widowed, partaker of his martyrdom ! 

" Hosanna to the Son of David, Who, 
Beheld of Stephen standing in the heavens, 
Received His servant's spirit to Himself! 

" The Resurrection and the Life is He ; 
He will not leave this body in its tomb ; 
Stephen and we shall meet Him in the air. 

" Descending with the sound that wakes the dead, 
Ten thousand of His saints attending Him, 
He comes ! He comes ! Even so, Lord Jesus, come ! 

" Salvation, worship, blessing, glory, power, 
Forever and forever unto God, 
Our God ; He never will forsake His own." 

Uplifted high in heart, they went away. 



BOOK X. 
SAUL AT BETHANY. 



At the funeral service for Stephen, Shimei was a skulking 
attendant. He catches at a mention there overheard by him of 
the name of Saul in connection w^ith that of Stephen, to plot an 
instigated persecuting visit on Saul's part to Bethany ; Shimei 
hoping that Saul v^^ill thus encounter his own sister identified 
as a Christian. Saul takes a band of men and makes the 
visit. He finds his intended victims all together at the house 
of Ruth condoling with her — Rachel indeea among them. 
After sharp inward conflict, and much effort put forth without 
success to make his victims abjure their faith, Saul finally 
takes them to prison. But Rachel, she vainly entreating to 
share her companions' fate, he leaves behind. She takes 
upon herself the charge of Ruth's children in their own home, 
where Saul, month after month, secretly sends to her supply 
of every need. 



SAUL AT BETHANY. 

Among the sons of God, when these one day 
Came to present themselves before the Lord, 
Satan came also ; and so Shimei, 
Amid the throng that mourned at Stephen's death, 
Intruded. With smooth face of sanctimony, 
Skulking to be unseen or heeded not, 
He hovered furtive on the outer edge 
Of audience, when those words of praise were said 
To hearten — eye and ear alert to mark 
All that befell. His thought was, ' Here perhaps 
I shall learn something to the true behoof 
And profit of our cause — right aim secure 
For the next blow of vengeance to be struck.' 
The name of Saul mysteriously conjoined 
With Rachel's, in abhorrent prophecy 
As seemed — this, Shimei caught at eagerly 
And said, ' Aha ! ' 

Then, as the throng dispersed 



238 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

All to their several homes, straight Shimei 

Went to seek Saul. Him found that spy malign 

With the chief priests in council, plotting deep 

To hunt the sect of Jesus to the death. 

These had armed Saul with writ and warrant sealed 

Empowering him to enter where he would, 

House after house, and whomsoever found, 

Man be it or woman, guilty of belief 

In Jesus as Messiah, such to seize 

And drag to prison. 

Instantly conceived 
Shimei a subtle snare to enmesh the feet 
Of Saul. The proud young zealot Pharisee 
Should be set on to visit first in search 
Those homes of Bethany ; where, unadvised 
Perhaps, so Shimei guessed, the brother might, 
To his dismay, find his own sister one 
With the disciples of the Nazarene. 
Then to make prisoner his own flesh and blood, 
Or openly spare Rachel for kin's sake — 
This, scandal against scandal doubtful weighed, 
Would be the hard alternative to Saul. 

" Beloved brother Saul," so Shimei spoke, 



BookX. SAUL A 2^ BETHANY. 239 

" / mourned at Stephen's funeral to-day. 

Not loud, you know, but deep, my mourning was ; 

Not loud, for I am modest, and my wish 

Was less to be seen than to see ; but deep. 

For there was cause, to one that loved you, Saul, 

To be sincerely sad on your behalf. 

Incredible it seems, they spoke your name, 

Not, as might honor it, with hate and dread, 

But very ambiguously, to say the least. 

In fact, I fear you may be compromised. 

Unless you take prompt measures in the matter. 

Hark you, a certain orator stood up 

Who, after praising Stephen to his worth. 

Distinctly hinted Saul was looked upon 

As hopeful future pervert to their cause 

Predestined to fill Stephen's vacant room. 

The fellow founded on some prophecy 

Which, as I gathered, Stephen had put forth. 

Now this preposterous notion, with such folk, 

Is far more like to prosper, and thus be 

Noised undesirably, than you might guess, 

As a report injurious to your name. 

You will be tainted with disloyalty, 

In general esteem — to our great loss. 



240 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

" What I propose is that you strike a stroke 
So sudden and so ringing and so aimed 
As shall decisively and neatly nip 
This precious piece of prophecy in the bud, 
And put you out of reach of calumny. 
You have your warrant and commission ; good, 
Use them at once, sleep not upon them ; now, 
This very night — for domiciliary work 
Like what you purpose, night is the best time, 
Birds to their nests, you know, at night come home — 
This very night, take you a trusty band 
And make a bold foray at Bethany. 
There Stephen lived, and there a hotbed yet 
Thrives of this pestilent heresy. No place 
Fitter than the abode and vicinage 
Of your late overmatch in controversy 
To make first theatre of the exploits 
You aim at in this different field — field where, 
With odds so in your favor, you should win. 
Easier far, given the right support, to drag 
To dungeon and to death a hundred men 
Or praying women, all as tame as sheep, 
Than one impracticable fellow like 
That Stephen manage in fair controversy ! 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 241 

" You have my best kind hopes and all good men's. 
Ask for the house that harbored Stephen's corpse 
And whence the funeral issued — quarry there 
You cannot fail to find. The widow too 
Of Stephen, I watched her, and what I saw 
Makes me misdoubt her Hebrew orthodoxy. 
Sound her — an ounce of thorough work done now, 
Unquestionably thorough, will be worth 
A hundred weight of paltering by and by. 
Despise the fear that now and then a man 
May call you cruel; the worst cruelty, 
As you and I well know, is ill-timed softness. 
This thing must be stamped out ; it is a plague. 
It creeps from house to house, no house is safe. 
Your house, Saul, mine — that sister fair of yours, 
Yes, treat the thought with scorn, but some fine day, 
Why not? Saul wakes to find his sister lost." 

How far unconsciously, Saul could not guess, 
But Shimei, in that last home thrust of his, 
Either by pure fortuity, or else 
With malice the most exquisitely wise, 
Had hit the quivering quick of Saul's sore pride. 
Saul winced visibly, and Shimei, satisfied. 



242 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

Left him alone the prey of his own thoughts. 

Saul's thoughts were visions rather ; first, he saw 
His sister as in that farewell with her 
Bowed beautiful beneath a brother's scorn, 
Like a meek flower broken with tempest ; then, 
Stephen he saw, his face with God in him 
Afire, before the council ; next, that face 
Toward heaven upturned, he, far within the veil 
Agaze, beholding there the glory of God ; 
Once more, the martyr lifting holy hands 
On high, with his last breath praying for those 
That slew him, praying also then for Saul ! 
Rachel the while — she rather felt than seen — 
With tears that did not gather, but that made 
Her deep eyes deeper than the soundless sea, 
Looking at him. Swift then the vision changed, 
And he saw Stephen in the temple court 
Turn suddenly round on Saul his blinding face 
To threaten him with promise that, one day. 
He, Saul himself, should grovel in the dust 
Before the feet of Jesus crucified ! 
Those visions were as when the lightning-flash, 
By night, fast following lightning-flash, reveals, 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 243 

One instant and no more, the world, but prints 
Its image on the eye intensely bright. 

The final vision wrought a fierce revolt 
In Saul from that relenting which, before, 
The earlier visions almost made him feel 
As with a mortal gripe, his vise-like will 
Clutched at his heart and held it fast and hard. 
Scorning to be diverted from his path 
Because, forsooth, the meddling Shimei 
Pointed it out to him offensively, 
Saul moved at once to go to Bethany. 
Seven servitors he chose, strong men whom use 
Had, hand and heart, seasoned to such employ — 
With these a guide — and started on his way. 
Again the moon shone, as the yesternight, 
And flooded heaven and earth with glory mild. 
But her mild glory now was a rebuke 
To human passion, not a balm to pain. 
With swords and staves armed, as that night came 

they 
Who looked for Jesus in Gethsemane — 
The needless lamps and torches in their hands 
With flare and smoke affionting the moonlight — 



244 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

They marched, those seven, following the guide with 

Saul. 
At first these chattered lightly as they walked. 
But soon the stern, stark, wordless mood of Saul, 
And his grim purpose in his pace expressed. 
Urgent and swift, taxing their utmost strength 
To follow and not fall behind, quite quelled 
The social spirit in all, and on all went 
In sullen silence like their chief Like him, 
Insensibly each moment more and more. 
While thought and feeling they shut strictly up 
Within them from all vent in speech, they these 
Changed to brute instinct of vindictiveness ; 
Insensibly, like him, with every step 
Of vehement ongoing, vehement 
Propulsion gathered they in mind and will 
To reach and grapple with their task. So on 
And up with speed they pressed toward Bethany. 

At Bethany, meanwhile, the flock in fold 
Abode the coming of those prowler wolves — 
Unweeting, in sad sense of safety lulled. 
The sisters, with the brother Lazarus, 
Had to Ruth's house at eve repaired ; they there 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY, 245 

With Rachel sat together, in the court 
Under the open sky, and spake with Ruth, 
Or spake for Ruth to hear, comforting her. 

" ' I am the Resurrection and the Life ' " — 
Thus Martha — " how the very words to me 
Were spirit of life, were resurrection power, 
So spoken, from such lips, at such a time, 
When Lazarus lay sleeping in that swoon 
Which we call death ! I did not need to wait 
Until my brother should indeed again 
Arise, obedient, at His word, to feel 
The utterer of that saying was the Christ." 
" But when He wept, when Jesus with us wept, " 
Said Mary, " I felt solace in His tears 
Such that almost I would have always grieved. 
To be always so comforted. " A pause. 
Then eyes on Lazarus turned, and he : " From where 
I was — but where I was, although I seem 
Well to remember, yet could not I tell 
In any words, or show by any signs, 
However I might try — I heard His voice 
Say, ' Lazarus, come forth. ' Those round me heard, 
T thought they heard, with me, that potent voice, 



246 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book X. 

And they were not surprised, as was not I, 

Seeming to know it and to understand. 

That voice goes everywhere and is obeyed, 

To all the perfect law of liberty, 

And I obeyed as naturally as I breathe ; 

And I am here, in witness of His power, 

Whose power is universal through all worlds." 

" His power is great," said Ruth, "and wide His sway, 

Yet seems His grace the sovereign of His power. " 

" Yea," Rachel said, " for doth not power in Him 

Bend to the yoke and service of His grace ?" 

" We easily err, " said Lazarus, " seeking here 

To comprehend the incomprehensible. 

All difference is in us, for all in Him 

One and the same is ; power is grace and grace 

Is power, in Him, nay, power and grace is He. 

And He is ours and we are His, and one 

Are we with Him and in Him one likewise 

Each with the other, all." " How blest ! " they said, 

"And the whole family in heaven and earth 

Are one, and Stephen is with us or we 

With him, and heaven is here or here is heaven ! " 

A little while in silence and deep muse, 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 247 

And, by the Holy Spirit, fellowship 

With the Almighty Father and His Son. 

Then, " Lo, let us join hands, " they said, " and sing 

That psalm which breathes of unity like this." 

With braided tones, in unison they sang : 

* Behold, how good it is for brethren here, 

* How pleasant, thus in unity to dwell 

* Together ! It is like that costly chrism 
' Upon the head which overflowing ran 

* Down Aaron's beard and down his garment's folds, 
'Abundant as the dew of Hermon drops, 

' Distilled, upon the heights of Sion where 
' Jehovah fixed the blessing, life, even life 
' Forevermore.' 

" A sweet strain and a rich," 
Said Lazarus ; " David touched it to his harp. 
Taught by the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, 
Something it lacks to fill the measure up 
To that deep sense of oneness which we feel 
In Jesus, since He came, since Jesus came 
And spake, then went, but came again, in us 
Forever to abide. Cannot we sing 
Some words of His, as tunable, more deep? 
Such words He spake in a celestial rhythm 



248 ' THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book X. 

That night before He sought Gethsemane. 
They sat as in the Holy of holies with Him, 
And John leaned on His bosom where He sat. 
I have heard John rehearse the heavenly words 
Until at length I too have them by heart." 
Then Lazarus gave them sentences, which all 
Chanted in simple measure low and sweet: 

* Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe 

* In God, also in Me believe. Within 

* My Father's house there many mansions are. 
' I should have told you, had it not been so, 

* Because I go to fit a place for you. 

* And if I go and fit for you a place, 

' I shall return and take you to Myself, 

* That where I am there ye may also be. ' 

Was it a premonition, or did grief 
Surge up through peace and joy to claim its own ? 
Said Lazarus : " Yet He told us, * In the world 
Ye will have tribulation, though in Me 
Ye shall have peace.' With tribulation, peace!" 

His closing words they took from Lazarus' lips, 
" With tribulation, peace ! " and of them made 
A musical refrain half sad, half glad, 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY, 249 

Or wholly glad in sadness, which they sang. 
When ever were there cadences more sweet, 
More sweet or more pathetic? Thrice sang they 
Those words together ; but, at the fourth time, 
Just in that breath between the rise and fall, 
Before from ' tribulation ' they touched ' peace ' — 
A shock as of a mace struck on the door. 
Which yielded, and abrupt there strode in — Saul! 

Saul was alone ; his men he left without. 
The band had first the sisters' dwelling sought, 
To find the inmates gone — fled, as Saul guessed. 
Without delay, they came to Ruth's abode. 
Fiercer from disappointment Saul. But though 
Ruthless he came, he now, arrested there, 
Ruthful a moment stood at gaze. He saw 
Four women and one man in simple sort 
Sitting together in communion still. 
They did not look like culprits, nay, a light 
Purer than purest moonlight seemed to shine 
From out their faces underneath the moon. 
It was a feast of comfort that they kept, 
Those four, with Ruth the widowed — this Saul saw, 
And his heart thawed to pity and sheer shame. 



250 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

He would have turned and left them, but — his men 
Without ! The chief priests and the Sanhedrim ! 
And Shimei ! And Saul, with all Saul owed 
To Saul's fair fame, his conscience, and his God ! 

This all was in an instant, while he yet 
Only the group and not the persons saw 
Who made the group, and so before he knew 
Flis sister in her sombre different garb 
Disguised and in the half light of the moon. 
As Rachel now he fully recognized. 
Dismay almost unmanned him once again. 
Then anger to dismay succeeding made 
His brother's heart in him against her burn 
The hotter that it was a brother's heart. 
Speechless he hung, because he could not speak 
For anger ; but when she, adventuring, drew 
Near him and said, " Brother, I pray thee let 
Me speak with thee apart a moment," then 
The vials of his speech he broke on her : 

" ' Brother' ! Thou shalt not ' brother' me. Thou hast 
No brother more, no sister I. Once, yea — 
But that is long ago, and she is dead, 
My sister, and in her name will I hear 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 251 

No woman speak henceforth. Thou hast missed thy 

mark 
In that appeal. Better hadst thou bode dumb. 
Go, woman ! Thither! Sit thee with thine own !" 

Saul, with his finger pointing to her seat, 
Just left, in added scorn, spurned her from him. 
Then Lazarus spoke : " With me do what thou wilt ; 
But these are women, let me stand for them." 
*' Stand for thyself, " said Saul, " and answer me. 
Thou art called Lazarus, I trow 1 " " Thou hast said, " 
Lazarus replied. " Well, friend, with thee, " said Saul, 
" I have to speak. Disciple art thou, then, 
Of Jesus Nazarene, late crucified?" 
"Of Jesus," full confessing, Lazarus said, 
" Of Jesus, whom, not knowing what they did, 
Men crucified, but whom God glorified. 
Raising Him from the dead and seating Him 
At the right hand of glory in the heavens — 
Of Him I am disciple. Bless His name ! " 

"Thou art young to utter blasphemy," said Saul ; 
" Sure unadvisedly thou hast spoken this. 
Unsay it instantly, and swear it false, 
Or, by the warrant of the Sanhedrim, 



252 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

Thou goest with me to prison, perhaps to death, 
The way of Stephen and all heretics ! " 

*' Thou speakest idly, " Lazarus said to Saul ; 
*' Prison and death no terrors have for me. 
The Lord I serve is Lord of life and death. " 

" Yea, I have heard, " said Saul to Lazarus, 
" Thou boastest to have been from death itself 
Called back to life by whom thou namest Christ 
Let him, once more, call thee from out the tomb 
To which I shall consign thee — if he can. 
Saul then perhaps will his disciple be ! 
Poor fool, fanatic, what shall I call thee ? 
Persist not in this folly. Be a Jew, 
A Jew indeed, nor- fling thy life away. 
Anathema be Jesus ! ' say but that. 
Thou, Lazarus, and all the rest, with thee. 
And I go hence taking the sword away, 
The sword of just authority, undrawn, 
Asleep within its scabbard, ye all safe. 
All Jews indeed, and I given back again 
A sister, Rachel mine, won from the dead ! 
* Anathema be Jesus!' say those words." 

Saul ceased, awaiting what those five would do. 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY, 253 

They did not look at one another ; all, 

As with one will to all — their eyes upraised, 

And their hands clasped in ecstasy of awe — 

Together "Alleluia Jesus!" said. 

On Saul a power like lightning fallen from heaven 

Fell, at that adoration from their lips. 

A moment he stood stupefied, and then, 

With a great wrench of scornful will, he freed 

Himself and summoned his retainers in. 

These entered rudely, but abashed they hung, 
And wondering saw their master half abashed, 
Before that little company clothed on 
With virtue like a dreadful panoply. 
Half with the air of one subdued, or one 
Feeling he acts by sufferance not by power, 
Saul bids bind all — save Rachel — and forthwith 
Lead them to prison. 

" Also me, bind me, '* 
So Rachel to the men said eagerly. 
And offered her fair wrists. They looked at Saul, 
But Saul vouchsafed to them nor word nor sign. 
Still, ' No,' they gathered from that cold aspect 
In him which seemed to say, ' That which I bid, 



254 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book X. 

Do, further, naught. ' Rachel to Saul himself 

Beseechingly then turned and said:" O Saul, 

Full well I know thou doest this, constrained 

By conscience. Then by conscience be constrained 

To let thy men bind also me, who am 

As guilty as these are and with them should share 

One lot. " 

" I did not come here to be taught 
My duty, " Saul said, " least of all by thee. 
And least of all from thee will I abide 
To be adjured as by my conscience. Once 
I had a sister, she was conscience to me, 
But, as I told thee, that was long ago, 
And she is dead, my sister ! " 

Sadness mixed, 
Unmeant, resisted, irresistible. 

With Saul's enforced hardheartedness, which broke 
PI is tone to pathos, and, despite himself 
With those last words he burst in tears. He shook 
In shudders of strong agony, while all 
Wondered, but Rachel did not wonder, she 
Knew far too well her brother, far too well 
Knew their joint past, the two pasts they had had 
Together, long and happy one, and one 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 255 

So brief, so bitter, — and she pitied Saul. 

She pitied him, but strongly did not weep — 

Though afterward, alone, remembering, 

Slie wept as if her eyes were fountains of tears — 

With him now Rachel would not weep, for she 

Knew far too well her brother, that he scorned 

Himself for weeping those hot tears, and would 

Be vexed to see tears wept in sympathy 

As if with will he let his mood relent. 

So Rachel held her pity hard shut up 

Within her heart, which ached the more denied 

Its wished-for vent in tears, and Saul soon curbed 

His passion and in other passion veiled. 

'' Haste, there !" he said, sharp turning on his men, 

'\ The night flies, while ye loiter." 

Now the men 
Already had bound Lazarus. He, ere yet 
The shameful needless bonds upon the wrists 
Of those four gentle women were made fast, 
Said : " Saul, what evil have these women done 
That they deserve roughness like this ? I go 
Willingly with thee, albeit innocent. 
For I a man am and can well endure 
Bonds, stripes, dungeon, or death, having such hope 



256 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

Within me as makes all afflictions light, 
Whatever they may be, compared with that 
Eternal weight of glory nigh at hand. 
Like hope have also these, and they will bear, 
Doubtless, supported, whatsoever ill 
Unmerited thou choosest to inflict. 
But wilt thou choose to inflict indignity 
And pain on such as these ? " 

" I do not choose, " 
Said Saul ; " I without choosing do, not what 
I would, but what I must. I too wear chains, 
Am bond of conscience, heavier chains wear I 
Than these light manacles that bind the hands 
But leave the heart free and one's will one's own. 
Chained am I and driven. Conscience drives me 

on, 
Both will and heart in me under the lash 
Cower, and I here as but a galley-slave 
Do what my conscience bids, joyless, and fierce 
From lack of joy, more miserable far, 
Binding, than ye are bound, with your fool's joy 
Of windy hope ! For me, I only know 
That, in whatever way, this thing accursed. 
This craze to think that man the Christ, must be 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 257 

Curbed, checked, stopped, crushed, brought to an utter 

end, 
Forever. All the future of our race 
Hangs on it. Woman, tempted, fell, she first, 
In Eden, whence is all our woe, and now 
Women it seems are the peculiar prey 
Of this new trick of devilish subtlety ; 
And, as of old, woman deceived becomes 
Deceiver, and through her the mischief spreads 
Ungovernably. So women, too — the cause 
In part of the disease — must in part pay 
The price of cure. For remedy this is, 
Not punishment. Ye for the general health 
Suffer — ^for your own health not less, if ye 
Yield wisely, and not foolishly resist. 
Yield wisely now, and let me hence depart 
Cheered to have healed a little here the hurt 
With which the daughter of God's people bleeds I" 

How little prospered this his new appeal, 
Saul learned, when Ruth, as not having heard even, 

said: 
" At least let me, if I indeed must leave 
My children double orphans so, let me 



258 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book X. 

Now go and see them in their helpless sleep, 
And take a farewell of them with my eyes. 
But who will care for them when I am gone? 
I cannot, will not, go away from them. 
Nay, ye may bind me, ye may slay me, drag 
Me hence may ye, alive or dead, but make 
Me go with my own feet away from them. 
My children, in their innocent infancy, 
And leave them to pine motherless, forlorn. 
And perish in their innocent infancy — 
That is beyond your strength — I will not go — 
A mother may defy the Sanhedrim !" 

Ruth spoke dry-eyed, with holy mother's wrath, 
Sublime in her indignant eloquence. 
Saul, not unmoved, although inexorable. 
Said : " Woman, as thy wish is, thou shalt go 
Freely to see thy children. May the sight 
Dispose thee to a better mind ! Come back 
Ready to say, ' For their sake, I renounce 
My folly, I will be true Jewish mother 
To them, so let me stay, ' — and thou shalt stay. 

Ruth going, Rachel thought, ' Shall I too go 
With her, that I may help her bear to part 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY. 259 

From her dear babes ? ' Quickly resolved behind 

To tarry, she, Ruth gone, went up to Saul, 

And said : " I pray thee, Saul, let Rachel go 

Instead of Ruth to prison. Let Ruth bide 

To nurse her children. I will take her place 

Gladly in her captivity, and be 

A surety for her. Young and strong am I, 

And I will be a firm good surety, Saul, 

Not fleeing and not complaining, always there, — 

And if, hereafter ever, it should seem 

Needful to have Ruth come herself to prison, 

Why, she will still be here, under thy hand, 

As now, so then, to be hence thither led. 

Be kind, and have me bound straightway, before 

Ruth comes again, that she be left no choice 

But to let Rachel have her wilful way, 

Perceiving that I have my bonds on me 

To go to prison with her, if not without, 

While much I wish to go without her — wish, 

And, by thy kind permission, have the power. 

Dost thou not think, Saul " — wherewith Rachel smiled 

On Saul a starlight smile, which made him feel 

How high she was above him in her sphere 

Unconsciously — " Dost thou not think that I 



26o THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book X. 

Will make as good a prisoner as Ruth ?" 

Had she not smiled that smile, Saul might have 
thought, 
' Infatuated child !' and thought aloud. 
But that bright smile of almost humor sad 
Showed him how sanely her true self she was, 
And he was baffled, sudden-smitten dumb. 
He could not answer her ; much less could he 
Bid bind those slender wrists with manacles 
And send his sister to imprisonment ! 
So there Saul stood before her, marble-mute. 
Not long — for Ruth soon now came back, more calm, 
She having prayed beside her sleeping babes, 
And trusted them again to the Most High 
As Father, and from the Most High received 
Grace to bear graciously her testimony, 
Even by imprisonment, and children reft, 
For Stephen's Lord and hers. The others marked 
Ruth's placid changed demeanor, and gave thanks 
Silent to God who thus their prayer had heard 
" I go," she said to Saul, " for Jesus' sake 
Wherever thou mayst lead. My babes I trust. 
As Stephen trusted them before he suffered, 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY, 26 1 

Unto the Father of the fatherless. 

Lo, I am ready — bind me — for His sake !" 

Never so ruefully had those hard men 
Bound any hands for prison as they bound hers ; 
And scarcely Saul found steady voice to say : 
" Thy children shall be cared for tenderly, 
Till thou return to them in sounder mind ; 
The fathers of our tribes will see to this. " 

Then Rachel said, and saying it wept at last : 
" They would not bind me, Ruth, to take thy place, 
Though I entreated them while thou wert gone. 
I shall be left, unworthy to be left. 
If ye, beloved, are worthy to be taken ! 
But, Ruth, if thou wilt let me, I shall stay 
And myself be a mother to thy babes, 
Nurturing them most lovingly, alike 
For thine, their father's, and their own sweet sakes. 
And I will daily bring thee word of them, 
Treasuring for thee each little syllable 
They lisp from day to day of loving speech 
Concerning father or mother gone away. 
They shall not lack whatever I can give 
Of mother's tendance, so as yet to feel 



262 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book X. 

That I am not their mother, only one 

Less wise, less good, less loving, and less fair 

Than she, who for their mother's sake loves them ! 

All this, I trust, will not last very long. 

This motherlessness for them, this childlessness 

For thee — thou wilt come back — but,0 Ruth, pray" — 

Thus Rachel softly for Ruth sole to hear — 

*' For surely now thou understandest well, 

Too well ! what then I meant when once I told thee, 

' I too am widow as thou art, yet not 

As thou, since me stroke heavier has bereaved ! ' — 

O Ruth, pray thou and never cease to pray 

For Saul, my brother ! " 

So they went away. 
And, lodged in prison, those four captives sang, 
A silent melody making in their hearts, 
" With tribulation, peace !" until they slept. 
But Rachel, having followed at remove 
Behind them, saw where they were put in hold, 
Then, hedged about meanwhile with purity. 
With convoy doubtless too of angels hedged. 
Gladly on such an errand earthward come, 
Invisible bright legion hovering round ! — 



BookX. SAUL AT BETHANY, 263 

Safely returned to sleep in Stephen's house. 

There she abode, and thence, an angel she ! 
Went daily to and fro between Ruth's house 
And Ruth in prison, bearing messages, 
Refections often bearing, food or drink, 
Her own housewifely skill and instinct nice, 
With other comforts portable, sometimes, 
Pillow or cushion, rug or robe or shawl, 
Such as might serve to cheer the homesick heart 
In any there imprisoned, with sweet sense 
At least of loving thought from one for those 
In bonds, as herself with them bound ; the while 
That for the orphaned children she made home. 
Nor ever failed to Rachel full supply 
Of all whatever need there was to her. 
Month after month, her cruse was brim with oil, 
With meal her measure, large replenishment. 
God put it in the heart of Saul to send, 
Diverted like an irrigating rill 
Full all its season from the affluent Nile, 
A secret stream of various providence 
For Rachel and for Rachel's fosterlings 
Fed from the fountain of his patrimony. 



BOOK XI. 

SAUL AND HIRANI. 



Saul, ill-content with his own prosperity in persecution, 
retires gloomily, late at night, to his desolated home. He 
vainly tries to sleep, and, rising very early, goes to consult 
Gamaliel. Returning, he encounters Shimei, who, with 
gibes, instigates a further act of persecution on Saul's part, 
cunningly contriving it to make refusal impossible. Saul 
attempting the arrest proposed by Shimei meets with opposi- 
tion, which the latter has secretly inspired. The persecutor 
in consequence narrowly escapes violent death, being rescued 
at the critical moment by Shimei ; who himself, with a band 
of servitors, makes the arrest unsuccessfully attempted by 
Saul alone. The man arrested confesses Jesus before the San- 
hedrim, constant against every inducement to deny his Lord. 
He is scourged, at the instance of Shimei, and finally, at the 
instance of Mattathias, stoned ; Saul in both cases giving 
his vote against the man. 



SAUL AND HIRANI. 

With large prosperity and little joy, 
Thus the first stage of that * straight path * foreseen 
By him to Rachel, 'traced in blood and tears,' 
Saul had accomplished, and the night was late ; 
He parted from his men and was alone. 
Alone and moody, by the westering moon, 
His face downcast turned absently toward what 
Late was his home, home longer not to him, 
With footstep slow suspended by sad thought — 
Which had no goal, but ever round and round 
On one fixed centre hopelessly revolved — 
Saul paced the still streets of Jerusalem, 
Like a soul seeking rest and finding none. 
Before the door at length he finds himself 
Of his own house forsaken yesterday. 

For an uncertain absence, but for long 
As he supposed, Saul thence that morn had fled 



268 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XL 

In haste and bitterness. He could not bear 

To think of meeting Rachel day by day, 

And that great gulf impassable between 

Her and himself yawning ! he hands imbrued 

Perhaps in blood of those she counted dear 

But he most hateful counted bringing home, 

Her innocent white hands to touch, and feel 

The difference ! Therefore he fled because 

' Rachel,' thought he, ' must bide, and bide we twain 

Cannot. ' But now Rachel was gone, and Saul, 

Alone and lonely, sojourner might be 

Where brother and sister late had shared a home. 

He enters noiselessly, and unperceived 

Steals to his chamber ; there upon his couch 

To restless thought, he, not to rest, lies down. 

Restless and fruitless, save that, morning yet 

Pearl-white, untinted with that ruddy flush 

Of color in the east before the sun, 

Saul rose, and, after joyless orisons. 

Went to Gamaliel's house, sure him to find 

Already on his roof to greet the dawn. 

" In anguish sore and sore perplexity 
Of spirit, master," Saul said, "lo, I come 



Book XI. SAUL AND HI RANI. 269 

To thee, not knowing whither else to go, 
For solace, and the solving of my doubt." 

" Welcome thou comest ever, even or morn, '* 
Gamaliel said ; " but what disquiets thee? 
When in the council last I heard thee speak, 
Thou wert all firmness, as one wholly clear 
In purpose, and thou hadst that glad aspect. 
Though serious, which befits the mind resolved. 
Whence, Saul, the change in thee .?" 

" Thou knowest," said Saul 
"How prospered my attempt, ventured upon 
Without thy counsel, in that issue joined 
With Stephen." 

"Yea, my son," Gamaliel said ; 
" But I, meantime, after my counsel given 
Dissuading thee, had learned myself to feel 
How failed the hand of brute authority 
Against this strange faith of the Nazarene. 
Thine undertaking I less disapproved 
After our hearing of the Galilseans. 
Something perceived in them, or through them felt, 
Disturbed me with a strange solicitude, 



270 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XI. 

Which the ill fortune of thine own assay 
Did not relieve. But thou, thou still wert clear, 
Wert thou not, Saul ? Thine action did not halt ; 
Promptly in Stephen's stoning thou took'st part." 

" I acted promptly, that I might be clear 
In thought, " said Saul ; " this, rather than because 
I was so clear. My halting urged me on. 
Yet now, O master mine, I might perhaps 
Be clear, but that my coadjutorship 
Offends me so, torments me with such doubt. 
In the right way how can I be, and be 
In the same way with Shimei .? My soul 
Sickens at him, at all his words and ways 
Sickens, and still he dogs me every step. 
Clings to me like my shadow, whispers me 
Over my shoulder, pointing me out my way, 
Until I hardly can do that which else 
Freely I should, because he bids me do it ! " 

** Yea, Saul, my son, trust thou thine instinct there, " 
Gravely Gamaliel said, with slow reserve 
That warned how more than he would say was meant ; 
"Our brother Shimei is a dark man, 
Whose public zeal is edged with private spite ; 



Book XI. SAUL AND H IRANI. 27 1 

Him well, son Saul, it thee behooves beware. 
Since when thou scornedst him in those high words 
Before the council, Shimei hates thee, Saul, 
And hate like his is sleepless till revenge. 
Ill for a cause that must be served by him ! 
But some are tools, and others ministers, 
Of God, Who works His holy will with all ! " 

Unwarned by warning, but in conscience pricked. 
And following his own tyrannous thought, Saul spoke : 
" Those infamous false witnesses of his — 
Say, master, did I on my conscience take 
The guilt of their suborning, when consent 
I gave to Stephen's death thereby procured .? 
My conscience like a scorpion stings me on, 
But whether a good conscience before God 
It be, or rather a conscience violated. 
Which I must quiet by not heeding it. 
And by confusing it with din of deeds 
Forever doing — this I cannot well 
Resolve me, and — but, nay, for that were false, 
I do not wish thou shouldst resolve me it. 
Forgive me, and farewell ! But pray for Saul !" 

Therewith, and pausing not, like one distraught 



2 72 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

Or one goaded, and wildly seeking fast 
Enough before the goad to fly, which flies 
Only the faster, following, for his speed, 
And pricks the harder — so Saul broke away 
And left Gamaliel on his roof alone 
Astonished. 

Swiftly now, yet with a haste 
As of one wishing to leave far behind 
Some spot abhorred, much more than as of one 
Eager a goal before him to attain, 
Say rather as of one insanely fierce 
Somewhither, anywhither, from himself 
Pursuing hard himself, to fly, Saul flew 
Back toward his dwelling. At the door arrived, 
He well-nigh stumbled — for his hasting feet 
Against some shapeless heap struck that alive 
Seemed, for it moved, and from the threshold, where 
He in a kind of ambush crouching lay. 
Slowly into the semblance of a man, 
Under Saul's eyes down bent, upgrew — Shimei ! 

* Sin coucheth at the door 1' thought Saul ; he 
thought 
Half of himself, as half of Shimei, 



Book XL SAUL AND HI RANI, 273 

For, * If thou doest not well, thou Saul !' thought he, 

Then, " Reptile ! How beneath my heel should I 

His serpent head have bruised !" hissed hotly out 

Between his set teeth, and perused the man. 

Half under breath this, then to him aloud : 

'* What art thou ? Imp of hell spawned hither new 

Up from the pit ? Avaunt ! I loathe thee hence ! " 

"Nay, brother Saul," grinned Shimei, therefore 
pleased 
Thus spurned to be, because the spurning was 
With anguish of disgust to him who spurned, 
Malevolently yet storing reserve 
Of hatred and revenge therefor, to be 
Afterward feasted when the time should come, 
" Nay, brother Saul, you look with eyesight dazed 
From undersleeping, and from rash surprise 
At this encounter. I am Shimei, 
Your special coadjutor tried and true. 
I am a little early, I confess — 
Or late, which shall I call it ? early and late — 
Like moral good and evil, Saul — ofttimes 
Change places with your point of view — become 
The one the other, as vou look at them. 



2 74 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

" You see I hardly slept myself this night, 
Thinking of you, and pleasuring my mind 
With fancies of the odd coincidences 
That might be happening you at Bethany. 
I got prompt information how it all 
Fell out, and hastened hither to advise 
With you. Upon your sleep, already much 
Cut short, I would not thoughtlessly break in, 
And so I dropped me at your threshold here, 
To wait a proper hour for seeing you, 
And yet not let you pass out hence unseen. 
I must have fallen asleep, and, brother Saul 
Be sure I was no less surprised than you. 
When you just now came on me unaware. 
Ha ! ha ! How naturally you mistook your friend 
For something not so pleasant from the pit 
Vomited suddenly up under your feet ! 
Another might have taken it amiss 
To be so little courteously greeted, 
But I — why, give and take, say I, in joke. 
You have bravely evened up the score between us ! " 

" I do not bandy jokes with such as you, 
Suborner of false witnesses !" gnashed Saul. 



Book XI. SAUL AND HI RANI, 275 

Saul's look, his tone, had withered any man 
Save Shimei, who grew blithe in sultry heats 
Of human scorn as in his element. 
So Shimei flourished lustier hearing Saul 
Despise him with the question further asked : 
" What is there common between you and me ? " 

" Oh ! Ah ! " sneered Shimei ; " I had thought you 
dazed 
In eyesight only, but distempered mind 
You show now, taking this high strain with me. 
' What common 'twixt us .? ' Yea, yea, very good ! 
* Suborner of false witnesses ' — hence base, 
Shimei, but very, very virtuous, Saul, 
Who, with much flourish of disdain, his hands, 
His lily hands, washes, for all to see, 
Quite white and fair of all complicity 
With ' lies,' ' devilish lies,' * lies damnable,' 
You know, and so forth, and in due course then, 
His moral indignation unabated, 
Takes profit of said lies to make away 
With Stephen, through more weighty argument 
In stones found than conveniently to hand 
Came when he crossed words with that heretic !" 



276 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XI. 

The mordant sneer corrosive of such speech 
Ate through the thin mail of Saul's scornful pride, 
And bit him in his wincing sense of truth. 
Against these thrusts in no wise could he fence, 
Having the foothold lost whereon he stood 
Firm in the conscience of integrity. 
Unbidden would those words of Stephen, " Pricks 
To kick against !" returning come to him 
In memory, while ever, with each return, 
Fiercer waxed Saul's resistance, fiercer wound 
Infixing in his secret-suffering mind — 
As should the bullock battle with the goads 
Behind him, shrinking flesh on sharpened steel. 
So now his wild heart Saul pressed sternly up 
Against the cruel points of Shimei's jeer, 
And suffered them in silence. 

Shimei 
Felt his own triumph, and at feline ease 
Leisurely played with his proud captive. " Saul, " 
He added, " you and I are men too wise 
To waste strength here in mutual blame. Forgive 
Me that I was so far led on to speak 
As if retorting word for word unkind. 
I should have made allowance for your state, 



Book XI. SAUL AND H IRANI, 277 

Devoid of that just self-complacency 

So needful to a happy health of mind. 

Now you and I at bottom are such twins, 

We ought to understand each other well ; 

It is a shame that this has not been so. 

Here we are one in aim, and unity 

In aim — what deeper unity than that 

Joins ever man and man ? Let us strike hands 

Together, since our hearts beat unison." 

Not less revolted at these words was Saul, 
More, rather, that he knew how insincere 
They were, how hollow, as how void of truth. 
Spoken in pure malicious irony. 
The sense of difference his from Shimei, 
Browbeaten in him, badgered, stunned, ashamed, 
Could not rejoice in thought, in speech far less, 
Against that flourished claim of unity. 
He stood silent, ignobly helpless, while 
Maliciously his pastime further took 
With him his captor, who then, sated, said : 
" Well, Saul, I shall excuse it to a mind 
In you disordered through late loss of sleep, 
That you do not invite me in to sit 



278 THE EPIC OE SAVE Book XL 

A little at my ease while I disclose 

The thought I had in coming to you now. 

Nay, nay " — for Saul, broken in self-command 

False shame to feel, and false self-blame, as found 

Defaulting dues of hospitality, 

Instinctive moved toward making Shimei guest — 

" Permit me to decline the courtesy. 

You are tired, you are very tired, and you should 

rest. 
Once within, seated, I might stay too long, 
Bound by the charms of your society. 

" I pray you be not overmuch disturbed, 
But really you should know it, Saul, the chance 
You fell in with this night at Bethany — 
I mean your meeting of your sister there 
Confessed a bold disciple of the Way — 
Is likely to engender consequence. 
It was a noble chance, Saul, from the Lord, 
Pushed to your hand — would you had used it nobly I 
Alas, at the extreme pinch, your virtue failed ! 
I can excuse it, while regretting it, 
I myself, Saul. Not every one, I fear. 
Is naturally so lenient as I am. 



Book XL SAUL AND HI RAN I, 279 

My sympathy is facile, but the most 
Will say, ' Why did not Saul send her to prison ? * 
Now what you need is, to forestall such talk 
By giving people something else to say. 
Fill their mouth full with daily fresh report 
Of other, and still other, great exploits 
Achieved by you in the same line, and then 
They either will forget that one lapse yours, 
Or cease, from the perversion of a sister, 
Connived at or colluded with by you, 
To accuse a taint and pravity of blood 
Inclining you yourself to heresy. 

" I give myself no end of trouble for you, 
And I have made discovery of the man 
You must not fail to move for as next prize. 
He is a notable fellow, full of quip, 
Quaint turn of phrase, and ready repartee. 
Each trick of tongue to catch the common ear, 
And mischievous accordingly ; for he 
Boasts everywhere how, having been born blind 
And grown to forty years of age in blindness, 
He one day met Jesus of Nazareth, 
When that deceiver spat upon the ground 



28o THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XL 

And mixed an unguent of the clay, therewith 
Smearing his sightless balls, and bidding him 
Go wash them in the pool of Siloam ; 
He went and washed, and came a seeing man. 

" Such is his story, and so plausibly 
He tells it that a wide belief he wins. 
' Hirani ' is the name by which he goes ; 
Name self-assumed since his pretended cure, 
A kind of label that he boldly thrusts 
In people's faces to placard his lie. 
' He made me see ' — he, to wit, Jesus, mind — 
As were no other ' he ' in all the world ! 
Well, this Hirani to be weaver feigns. 
Mere cover to that other trade he drives — 
A famous flourishing one with him, they say — ^ 
Proselyte-making for the Nazarene. 
Clap him in prison, Saul, let him repeat 
His marvel to the unbelieving walls. 
At present, many of the Way are fled 
Hither and thither through the countryside, 
But this man tarries to rehearse his tale. 
So there your plan is, ready-wrought for you ; 
Now, Saul, go sleep upon it, and farewell." 



Book XI SAUL AND HI RAN I. 281 

Man through malicious mind more miserable, 
More miserable man from every cause 
Of inward sorrow save malicious mind, 
Never were met and parted than when there 
Shimei found Saul and left him thus that morn. 
Once more Saul visited his couch in vain ; 
Sleep could he not, could not but round and round 
Tread the treadmill of painful barren thought, 
On this fixed only, with resentful will. 
Not to do that which Shimei pressed him to. 
So, having eaten, without appetite, 
He flung forth in the street dispirited — 
Aimless, nor on the way through hope to aim, 
Hopeless, nor on the way through aim to hope — - 
Irresolute, deject, energiless, 
Therefore the destined prey of whatso snare 
Should sudden first waylay his nerveless foot — 
Forth in the street flung, at his door to meet 
An ambushed messenger of Shimei's, 
Who from his master gave him written word : 
" The Sanhedrim to sit this afternoon 
In council on the case you will present. 
All feel the utmost flattering confidence 
That Saul will promptly bring his prisoner in. 



282 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

The bearer of this can guide you to your man/' 

* Himself false witness now become, the wretch !' 
Thought Saul. * This buyer of false witnesses 
Has falsely told my brethren that I put 
Myself in pledge to do a special task, 
His bidding, and has got the council called 
In expectation on their part from me 
That I will bring them in this man to judge — 
Death doubtless meant, instead of prison, for him ! 
The wretch, the perjured wretch, and damnable ! 
Yet for me what escape ? Alternative 
None offers. Yea, denounce might I the man 
Even to his teeth before them all a liar — 
But to what profit ? He could truly say 
I listened, not demurring, when he broached 
This his new plan, as I had done before 
Concerning the arrests at Bethany 
By him projected, meekly made by me ! 
I should seem caviller, than he more false, 
And trifler with the ancient majesty 
Prescriptive of the Sanhedrim.' 

Saul writhed 
With all the frail remainder of his force, 



Book XL SAUL AND If IRANI. 283 

Writhed — and submitted. With the guide he went, 
And the man found whom he, under duress 
Resented, sought. The invisible chains w^hich then 
That captive captor wore, far worse galled him 
Than those whereof he plained at Bethany. 
Master more cruel yet the devil can be 
Than vehement conscience blinded by self-will. 
Pride driving makes an intimate misery, 
But a more intimate misery pride driven ! 

At his loom seated — there his handicraft, 
Late learned by him after sight given him late, 
Busily plying — Saul's intended prey. 
With his hands weaving, as the shuttle flew, 
A fabric of coarse cloth, wove with his tongue, 
That subtler shuttle in the loom of thought, 
Discourse simple yet sage, for those to hear, 
A goodly audience, who had gathered round 
Him in his place of labor out-of-doors 
Under an awning stretched that fenced the sun — 
Drawn thither by the fame of what he told, 
A strange experience never man's before. 

** Thou art disciple of the Nazarene ?" 
Abruptly so, intruding, Saul inquired. 



284 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

The accent of authority that spoke 

In him, the masterful demeanor his, 

All felt, and of the listeners some, afraid, 

Withdrew in silence ; but the sifted more 

Who stayed clouded their aspect, and, with grim 

Mutter in undertone exchanged between 

Them, each with other, asked or answered who 

This was that rudely thus and threateningly 

Broke in upon them. Saul ! the Sanhedrim ! 

Were dreaded names, but red runs Jewish blood, 

And hot, and quick, and those affronted men 

Scarce waited for their neighbor seen thus scorned 

To answer yea to his stern challenger, 

Ere they together moved in mass about 

Saul unattended, naked of all arms 

Save his authority, and, hustling him, 

Seemed on the verge of using violent hands 

To thrust him forth — nay, to Saul's ears there came 

That pregnant word, ready on Jewish tongues, 

Yet readier hardly than to Jewish hands 

The deed, word full of instant menace, " Stones !" 

Saul knew his danger and his helplessness ; 
But, far from terror, though not void of fear, 



Book XI. SAUL AND HIRANI. 285 

Blanching not blenching, he a tonic breath 

Drew, in an air that to another man 

Had softened all his fibre or dissolved. 

Vanished that mood of feebleness he brought, 

And in its place a resolute, alert, 

Defiant sense of self-sufficing strength 

Supported him, nay, buoyed him almost gay. 

As thus, with bitter words, he taunted them : 

" Yea, now ye show what lessons ye have learned 

Of unresisting meekness at the feet 

Of this your teacher — then not to resist 

When ye are certain to be overpowered ! 

But twenty of you to one man are brave ! 

Nay, but one man may twenty of you scorn. 

Back, there ! Stand back ! This man my prisoner is. 

I, Saul, commissioned by the Sanhedrim, 

Summon and seize him to appear this day 

Before their just tribunal to be judged 

As self-confessed disciple of the Way. 

Follow me thou ! Make way before me there ! " 

The peremptory tone, the audacity. 
The prompt aggressive movement, with the proud, 
High, lordly speech disdainful, the assured 



286 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book XL 

Serene assumption of authority 
Enforced by personal will as strong as power — 
These for a moment's space surrounded Saul 
With that inviolable immunity, 
The nameless spell which perfect courage casts ; 
Nay, so far gave him full ascendant there 
That he quite to his man his way had made 
And on a shoulder laid the arresting hand. 
But stay ! not quelled, suspended only, seems 
The indignant angry humor of the crowd. 
Scarce has Saul uttered his last scornful words 
And turned to front the men about him massed — 
Not doubting but, with only the drawn sword 
Of his fixed forward countenance, he shall 
This side and that before him cleave a way 
Wide from amid them forth to pass — upon 
Such hinging-point scarce poises Saul, when they, 
With many-handed violence, seize him 
And, irresistibly uplifting, bear 
Helpless, headforemost, ignominiously, 
Whither they will. 

In vain Hirani cries, 
By turns rebuking and beseeching them ; 



Book XI. SAUL AND HI RAN I, 287 

In vain he follows, warning them beware 

To involve themselves in risk fruitless for him ; 

In vain implores them even for Jesus' sake, 

Whose name will be dishonored by their deed ; 

Presents himself in vain a prisoner 

Willing to go with Saul unmanacled ; 

In vain avouches he, in any case, 

Shall yield his person to the Sanhedrim, 

Doubtless to suffer but the heavier doom 

For what is doing, unless they refrain. 

Hirani had adjured them by the name 

Of Jesus, but those heady men, that name, 

That mastership, owned not, Jews only still, 

Still in the changed new spirit all unschooled. 

So by their own mad motion ever mad 

Growing, they hurtle Saul along the way — 

He the while musing, with mind strangely clear, 

How like to Stephen's lot his own is now ! — 

Till chance unlooked-for their wild turbulence stays. 

All had been teemed from Shimei's fruitful brain. 
First, he had mixed the listening crowd around 
The weaver at that moment with base men. 
His creatures, who, for hirelings' pay, should stir 



288 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

Their neighbors up to wreak indignity 

Upon Saul's person, wounding to his pride, 

And in the pubHc view disparaging. 

Then, at the point of need, to succor Saul, 

Bringing his haughty colleague under debt 

To himself, Shimei, for his very life — 

This was that crafty plotter's next concern. 

A band accordingly of men-at-arms, 

Sworn in the service of the Sanhedrim, 

He had made ready ; and these now appeared 

Confronting that tumultuary crowd. 

Saul rescued — not without some disarray 

And soil of rent apparel, hair and beard 

Dishevelled, and disfigured countenance. 

His person thus disparaged to the eye, 

Hirani, as ringleader of the rout, 

Chained and brought forward, while go free, but 

blamed 
For being misled, the others — Shimei then 
To view emerges. He addresses Saul : 
" Well met ! That fellow, with his crew of like. 
Treated you badly, Saul. You might have prayed 
To be delivered into Stephen's hands 
From tender mercies such as theirs ! I trust 



Book XI. SAUL AND HIRANI. 289 

You have not suffered worse than what I see, 

Some slight derangement of apparel shown, 

Your hair and beard less sleek than might beseem, 

With here and there a scratch scored on your face — 

Nothing more serious, let me trust? Our men 

Were at the nick of time in coming up. 

It was not pure coincidence. You see, 

Both knowing your mettle and the vicious ways 

These sanctimonious ruffians have at times, 

I had misgivings that you might be rash, 

And suffer disadvantage at their hands. 

So, as in like case you would do by me, 

I, with these faithful servitors of ours, 

Run to your rescue here, and not too soon ! 

A little later would have been too late. 

You were well started down the steep incline, 

Which, very happily, as I learn, you styled 

'The way of Stephen and all heretics.' 

Droll, very, with of course its serious side, 

Queer irony, you know, of will Divine, 

Supposing they had really stoned you, Saul ! 

Well, well, it turns out better than your fears. 

You will not, true, and I lament it, make 

Quite a triumphal entry with your man 



290 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XI. 

Before the Sanhedrim, leading him in, 
With air of captain fresh from glorious war, 
Who brings proud trophy of his single spear 
Redoubtable ; but the main point is ours, 
The man we want is safe in custody. " 

Thus Shimei with his devilish sneering glee 
Nettled the heart of Saul and cheered his own. 

Before the council Shimei stood forth, 
Instead of Saul, to accuse the prisoner. 
With plausible glib mendacity, he said : 
" Not only is this fellow heretic 
After the manner of those Galilseans, 
But myself saw with mine own eyes just now 
How he the idlers in the street stirred up 
To most unseemly act of violence 
Against our brother Saul, worthy of death, 
As being aimed at death, unless that I 
Had ready been at hand with force enough 
To rescue one of our own number thus 
To the most imminent brink of stoning brought. 
Saul, if he would, might show himself to you 
In lively witness of the things I say." 



Book XI. SAUL AND HI RAN I, 29 1 

Hereon to Saul he signed with hand and eye ; 
But Saul arose and calmly, with disdain, 
Thus spoke : " The man here present prisoner 
Is, out of his own mouth, disciple proved 
Of Jesus Nazarene. As such I sought 
To bring him hither before you to be judged. 
This my attempt, most unexpectedly, 
A crowd of idlers round about him drawn 
Vacantly listening to discourse from him. 
Resented ; they, resisting, thrust me back — 
I had ventured single-handed and alone — • 
And, borne to madness, might perhaps have wrought 
Some harm to me — I know not ; but one thing 
I know, and that I freely testify. 
This man, our prisoner, did nought of all, 
Contrariwise, with all his eloquence 
Endeavored to dissuade those violent, 
Constantly saying and averring he, 
In any case, should, of his own free will, 
Give himself up to you — thereby to clear 
The Name he sought to honor of reproach 
For wild deeds done as in defence of him." 

A moment, having heard Saul testify, 



292 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI. 

The Sanhedrim sat silent in fixed thought. 

Then Shimei, ever easily equal found 

To his occasion, when need seemed to him 

Of whatsoever fraud in word or act, 

Said that of course from brother Saul was heard 

Never aught other than he deemed was true ; 

But the fact was, as would by witnesses 

Be amply proved, that all this culprit's show 

Of zeal to stay those rioters back was show 

Merely, dust in the eyes of Saul to cast, 

Or rather sport to make of him, the prey 

Secure supposed of his, the prisoner's, 

Malicious machination through the hands 

Of his confederates, or tools, who knew 

Better their master's purposes, his real 

Purposes, than his feigned dissuasive words 

To heed, and let his victim go. Saul's state 

Was at the moment such, so ill at ease 

His mind — why, even his body in that vile 

Duress was hardly to be called his own — 

Saul — and without offence would Shimei say it — 

Might be regarded as not competent 

On this particular point to testify. 

At all events, here were good witnesses 



Book XL SAUL AND HIRANI. 293 

Who, from a safer, steadier point of view 
Than Saul's, and longer occupied, could tell 
Both what the prisoner's wont had been to teach, 
And what he instigated in this case. 

With such preamble to prepare their minds, 
Minds used to guess the drift of Shimei's wish, 
This arch-artificer of fraud produced 
As witnesses the men whom he had late 
Mixed with Hirani's audience to foment 
That lawlessness. Such serviceable tongues 
Failed not to swear, in all, as Shimei wished. 

Saul, in his secret mind with anguish torn, 
Gazed at the man forsworn against, maligned, 
And almost envied him. A look of peace 
Was on him like a light of fixed stars. 
So constant, and so inaccessible 

Of change through jar, through stain, so clear, so fair 
He listened to the voices round him loud. 
As if some softer voice from farther sent 
Made ever an inner music to his mind 
Charming him with a melody unheard. 
He saw the things, the faces, and the forms, 
About him nigh, as if he looked beyond 



294 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XI. 

Or through them, and beheld far, far away 
Or whom or what to others was unseen. 

So when the high-priest, from his middle seat 
Among the councillors, accosted him, 
Asking, " To all these things what sayest thou ? '* 
The prisoner, like one absent-minded brought 
To sudden sense of present things, replied : 
" I hardly understand what ' these things ' are, 
For otherwhither I was drawn in thought. 
But if it be inquired concerning Him 
Whom lately they not knowing crucified. 
Why, this I answer for my testimony : 
* Let there be light,' said God, and light there was. 
Almost thus did that Man of Nazareth, 
Creative, speak for me, and changed my world 
Of native darkness to this cheerful scene 
Above, beneath, about me, sudden spread. 
And sun and moon and stars for me ordained. 
I praise Him as the Lord of life and light. 
And Giver of light and life to dead and blind. 
All glory to His ever-blessed Name !" 

The simple ecstasy from which he spoke, 
Illuminated, and the holy power 



Book XI. SAUL AND HIRANI. 295 

Of truth, in witness such, meekly so borne, 
Wrought even upon the jealous Sanhedrim 
An influence which they could not resist, 
And a pang shot to the inmost heart of Saul. 
A faltering of compunction close on shame 
Made the high-priest half-tenderly, with tone 
As of a father toward a child in fault, 
Say : " Nay, my son, deceived art thou ; of will 
Surely thou dost not utter blasphemy. 
If so be demon power had leave from God 
To give thee back one day what demon power 
Had erst one day from God had leave to take 
Away, thy sight — be glad indeed, but fear 
To yield wrongly thy praise to demon power 
Permitted ; all to God permissive yield. 
Glory belongs to God alone. My son. 
Bethink thee now betimes and save thy soul. 
' Jesus of Nazareth anathema ! ' 
Those words repeat for all to hear, and go 
Acquitted hence of that thy blasphemy. " 

So the high-priest to him, but he replied : 
** Blinded again I should expect to be. 
My eyeballs blasted to the roots of sight. 



296 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book XI. 

Nay, worse, my inner seeing quenched in dark, 

Forever and forevermore past cure, 

Were I to speak that Name except to praise. 

Glory to God and glory to His Son, 

Forever and forever in the heavens, 

The heaven of heavens, seated at His right hand!" 

"A bold blasphemer!" so, discordant, shrieked 
Suddenly Shimei, the spell to break 
He feared those simple, solemn, holy words 
Again might cast upon the Sanhedrim. 

The chance for heaven precarious is on earth 
Ever, and now the heavenly chance was lost. 
Such counter breath unable to withstand. 
Those half-rapt souls reverted to themselves, 
And brooked to Hsten — nay, assent gave they, 
Even Saul too gave assent wrung out ! — when, next, 
" Stripes for his back!" sharply shrilled Shimei ; 
" Good forty stripes less one may save his soul ! 
He loves his blasphemy, give him his fill, 
Whet him his appetite, make him blaspheme 
His own Lord God, the man of Nazareth. 
For that thrice damned name require from him, 
At every lash, an imprecation loud, 



Book XL SAUL AND HIRANI. 297 

On pain of instant death should one curse fail!'* 

So there with cruel blows was scourged the man, 
At every blow he crying out aloud 
Joy that he might thus suffer for that Name, 
And, baffled, they gnashing their teeth on him. 
" His madness has infected all his flesh," 
Screamed Mattathias ; " cure there is but one. 
Destroy his flesh with stones, let his flesh rot!" 

This also they, beside themselves with rage, 
Rage rabid from the sight of bloodshed vain, 
Resolved — resolving with them likewise Saul ! 
Without the gate they thrust their victim forth, 
And there stoned him calling upon the name 
Of Jesus to his last expiring breath. 

That night, the violated body, left 
There where it fell by those his murderers 
To be of ravening beast or bird the prey, 
Was thence, with reverent rite, by unseen hands 
Borne to a sepulchre, with spices wrapt 
In linen pure and fine, and laid away 
In secret, not unwept or unbewailed 
Of such as loved him for the love he bore, 
Quenchless by death, lo the Belovdd Name. 



BOOK XII. 
SAUL AND THE APOSTLES. 



Again deeply distressed in heart, Saul at set of sun with- 
draws to the top of Olivet for solitary thought. There 
falling asleep, after pensive soliloquy, he dreams that Shimei 
has followed him thither, and that he now pours a charac- 
teristic strain of sn'^^er and instigation into his ear. This 
rouses him, and he goes moodily home. After a long, deep 
slumber there, he resolves on undertaking what he dreamed 
that Shimei proposed, namely, the arrest of the apostles. 
His men fail him at the pinch, and Saul bitterly upbraids 
them, declaring strongly that their renegade behavior only 
determines him the more sternly to root utterly out the 
pestilent Galilaean heresy, at whatever cost of exertion and 
blood and tears. 



SAUL AND THE APOSTLES. 

So one day more of bitterness had spent 
Saul, and the night, the solemn night, came on, 
Grateful to him, for he would be alone. 
Whether the thought of home, no home, repelled, 
Or longing toward his sister unconfessed 
There in that banishment at Bethany 
Bright with her presence in it — whether this 
Drew him, or wish of lonely room and height 
Where more he might from human kind be far — 
However listing, Saul to Olivet 
Turned him, and slowly to the summit climbed. 

The moon not risen yet, the hemisphere 
Of heaven above him was with clustered stars 
Glittering, and awful with the glory of God. 
Upward into those lucid azure deeps, 
Withdrawn, deep beyond deep, immeasurably, 
Gazing, Saul said : " Deep calleth unto deep ! 



302 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XII. 

Those deeps above me unto deeps within 

Me cry, as infinite to infinite. 

The spaces of my spirit answer back ; 

I feel them, empty but capacious, vast 

And void abysses of unfed desire, 

Hunger eternal and eternal thirst! 

Upward I gaze, and see the steadfast stars 

Unshaken in their station calmly shine, 

I listen to the silence of the skies 

And yearn, with what desire ! for peace like that, 

Vainly, with what desire ! for peace like that ! 

Beneath the pure calm of the holy heaven, 

So nigh ! here am I seething like the sea, 

That cannot rest, casting up mire and dirt 

Continually ! O state forlorn ! Where, where, 

My God, for me is rest ? For me, for me ! 

'Great peace have they,' so sang that psalmist taught 

By Thee, * Great peace have they that love Thy law 

And nothing shall offend them. ' Answer me, 

Lord God, do / not love Thy law ? Then why 

This opposite of peace within my breast? 

Am I deceived ? Do not I love Thy law ? 

Answer me Thou ! " 

But answer came there none, 



Book XII. SA UL AND THE APOSTLES. 303 

Or Saul was deaf, and the great sky looked down, 
With all its multitude of starry eyes. 
Impassible, upon a human soul 
Wretched, unrespited from long unrest. 

The weary man upon a spot of ground 
Bare to the heaven had thrown himself supine ; 
Lying diffuse, his wistful face upturned, 
And poring on the starry-scriptured scroll 
Above him, he such thoughts breathed out in words. 
He had deemed himself alone, aloof from men ; 
But seemed had scarce his murmurous monotone 
Died on his lips, he skyward gazing still, 
When he was conscious of approaching feet. 
Feet all at once so nigh, they in the dark 
Touched him ere he could rouse himself to stand. 

'Why, brother Saul ! I stumble on you here. 
Much as this morn you stumbled over me !' 
Such, to the sleeping man, a voice seemed borne. 

* Those odious false-cheery tones once more ! 
Shimei has watched, and, hither following me, 
Lurked overhearing my soliloquy ; 
Then, stealthily retiring a few steps, 



304 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XII. 

Comes back, as with the brisk and frank advance 
Of one somewhither walking at full speed, 
And stumbles against me of purpose rude ! ' 

So Saul divined dissembling Shimei, 
Who said, or to Saul, dreaming, seemed to say — 
Vision as life-like as reality : 
" How naturally appear our paths to cross i 
I thought that I would take a casual stroll 
Alone, and you the same thought had, it seems, 
At the same time, directed both, odd too, 
The self-same way — another proof, you see, 
What kindred spirits we are ! 

" You must have marked 
How fine the night is ! What a wealth of stars ! 
Do you not sometimes wish, Saul, you could be 
As comfortably calm at heart as stars ? 
How wonderfully quiet all is there. 
Up in the region of the firmament ! 
Probably stars have nothing else to do 
Than to be calm like that, and smile at us 
Fretting ourselves down here with worry and work. 
Worry is worse than work to wear us out. 
But worst of all is having huge desires 



Book XII. SAUL AND THE APOSTLES. 305 

That nothing in the world can satisfy. 

Some men moon sighing for they know not what, 

Mainly great hollow hungry mouths and maws, 

Like void sea-beds ; abysses of desire, 

You know, that not the world itself could fill. 

Better close up your heart than stretch it wide 

And never get enough to make it full. 

Adjust yourself, say I, to circumstance, 

Hard work adjusting circumstance to you ! 

There's nothing better than to go right on 

Doing the obvious duty next to hand. 

And let the stars pursue their peaceful way, 

As hindered not, so envied not, by you. 

The sky is calm, no doubt — the upper sky — 

But happens we do not live in the sky, 

But on the earth, a very different place, 

And man's work we, not star's work, have to do; 

So let us be about it while we may. 

" For instance now, to bring the matter home 
(I trust I shall not seem officious, Saul, 
I really must make one suggestion more). 
Your pristine prestige has been much impaired 
Through slips and ill-successes on your part. 



3o6 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XII. 

No mean advantage to a man, repute 

For what the godless Romans call 'good luck,' 

Piously we, * the favor of the Lord ' ; 

This is forsaking you, I grieve to find, 

On all sides round, wherever I inquire. 

Up, and recover it with one bold push, 

Push that dares hazard all upon a cast. 

You know twelve men there are in special sort 

Dubbed the 'apostles' of the Nazarene, 

Who play a part assigned as witnesses 

To testify that Jesus rose again. 

After his crucifixion, from the dead. 

These fellows boldly in Jerusalem 

Stay, while the rest run scattering far and wide. 

Some kind of superstitious charm or awe 

Surrounds them — that is, in their own conceit 

And fond illusion of impunity. 

Boldly arrest them, Saul, and spoil the spell." 

Thus far, as oft in dreams will chance, Saul lay 
And helpless heard what irked him sore to hear ; 
But now, the loathing irrepressible 
Excited by such hateful speech, roused him 
To spurning that asunder broke the bonds. 



Book XII. SAUL AND THE APOSTLES, 307 

The nightmare bonds, of sleep. He, full awake. 

Groped with his hands about, dreading to feel 

Shimei indeed couched nigh, as he had dreamed, 

Breathing into his ear. No Shimei there ! 

He sprang upon his feet, and in the light 

Of the waned moon, now risen, still large and fair, 

Looked round and round — to find himself alone. 

" A dream, then," Saul said, " only a hideous dream ! 
Thank God ! How horribly real it seemed ! How like 
Must I have grown to him, to have had his thoughts ! 
What demon's doom only to have such thoughts ! 
Perhaps a demon whispered these now to me ! 
I could even pity Shimei, to be haunt 
And harbor of his ceaseless evil thoughts — 
Could pity, save that I detest too much. 
I cannot be like him and loathe him so ; 
Or does he haply also loathe himself.? 
Then were I like, for sure I loathe myself ! 
What travesty it was of those my thoughts ! 
And not ignoble thoughts, though vain, they were. 
The mad pranks that our dreaming brains will play!" 

So musing, there Saul, on the mountain's brow, 
Statue-like stood some moments in suspense ; 



3o8 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XII. 

Then slow descending to his house repaired. 

A deep, deep draught of pure oblivion 

In sleep drowned him until the morrow noon. 

Prayer then, and then fast broken, and calmly Saul 
The ill dream of his yesternight revolved. 
What better project for fresh act than that 
Which, gladly now he pondered, Shimei 
Did not propose, but only Shimei's 
False lively mimic counterfeit in sleep .^ 
Yea, he would next, with prompt but circumspect 
Audacity, the audacious head and front 
Smite of this growing mischief, in those men 
Styled the apostles of the Nazarene. 

Saul knew within his heart that secretly 
He dreaded this adventure ; therefore he. 
With will sardonically set, moved on 
To undertake it. Twenty men of tried 
True mettle, men with muscle iron-firm, 
And mind seasoned, through many hazards run, 
And long wont of impunity, to scorn 
All danger — such a score of men chose Saul, 
And, from them veiling yet his purpose, took, 
With indirection intricate, his way 



BookXII. SAUL AND THE APOSTLES. 309 

Toward where, as he, by diligent quest, had learned, 

The twelve apostles used each day to meet 

In secret from their prowling enemies ; 

But to the common people, loving them 

For manifold miracles of beneficence, 

Their secret meeting-place was not unknown. 

As, gradually, Saul with his retinue 
Drew near the spot, so large a following 
Of armed men, led by a chief whose fame 
Was rife now through Jerusalem for deeds 
And purposes of uttermost revenge 
Against the Galilsean heresy. 
Gathered about their course a growing crowd, 
Who, urged by various thought and feeling, watched 
What might that minatory march intend. 
Reached thus at length the place, Saul stays his steps, 
And, turning to his men in halt to hear, 
Speaks, with that dense clear voice which tense will 

breeds : 
" Here hide the twelve arch-heretics of all. 
Ye come to take them hence bond prisoners, 
For lodgment in a hold whence no escape. 
That they may cease sedition to foment. 



3IO THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XII. 

Duly the fathers of the Sanhedrim, 
Wise warders of our Hebrew commonwealth, 
Will thence adjudge them to their doom of death. 
No waste of words in parley now, leave asked, 
Terms offered, naught of that, no paltering pause, 
Instantly, stroke on stroke, down with the door ! " 

But pause they did, those picked, use-hardened men ; 
They stood as struck with palsy or with fear. 
"Traitors be ye, or cravens, which ?" cried Saul — 
Amazement, indignation, ire, disdain, 
Effacing exhortation in his tone. 
Then, mastering himself, less fiercely he 
Chode them : " Whence and whereto is this ? Mean 

ye, 

Ye surely mean not, mutiny? Rouse, then, 
With will ; obey, your loyalty retrieve ! " 

But still they hung there moveless, until one, 
Seeming the spokesman of his fellows, said : 
" No mutineers, no traitors, cravens none. 
Are we. But look around, and judge what means 
This concourse of beholders" — "* Look around'? 
Around \oo\.}'' thundered Saul. " Nay, straight-on 
looks, 



Book XII. SA UL AND THE APOSTLES. 3 1 1 

These sole, become stout hearts, staunch wills. 'Around ' 
Cease looking ye, and all right forward stare 
To where yon door fronts you and you affronts. 
Batter it down, and, staring forward, on !" 

The vehement, vindictive, dense onslaught 
Of that impatient, proud, imperious will 
Smote like the missile of a catapult 
Against the clamped immovable dead wall 
Of fixed inert resistance to Saul's wish. 
Which strangely, as one man, those men opposed. 
That impact did not shake that stubborn strength, 
Nor shiver back in staggering recoil — 
Absorbed, annulled, annihilated, waste ! 

One infinitesimal instant, Saul a blind 
Mad impulse felt — which, that same instant, he 
Quenched in a simultaneous saner thought — 
To rush single upon the door, with blank 
Ridiculous demonstration of balked will 
Indignant. " Me, then, seize, your chief contemned," 
Said Saul, " contemned, since not obeyed, and me 
Deliver captive to the Sanhedrim, 
Denounced unworthy of your trust, and theirs !" 



312 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book XII. 

As, saying this, around he glanced, he saw, 
With unintending eyes, a spectacle 
Which well had awed him, but that he was Saul. 
The frequence of spectators serried nigh 
Had armed themselves with stones, and imminent 

stood, 
A thunder-cloud of menace on each brow, 
Ready those bolts of vengeance to let fly. 
In hail-storm that no mortal might withstand, 
At whoso dared defy their angry mood ; 
Portent so dire Saul could not but peruse. 

" It was but question which should overawe, 
Ye, or this rabble of sedition here. 
And ye have solved it like the cowards ye are ! " 
So, with his passion humored to its height. 
And javelin looks shot at his men in shower, 
Cried Saul ; ** I had deemed otherwise of you. 
And yet, even yet, once wake the dormant man 
Within you, and, from hands through fear relaxed, 
Harmless will drop those miscreant stones which now, 
With your poltroonery, ye invoke to fall 
In well-deserved doom upon your heads ! " 

Upbraided thus, they, by that spokesman, said : 



Book XII. SAUL AND THE APOSTLES, 313 

" Stoning may lightly be despised by men 

Like us, whose trade it is at need to die ; 

And bloody death were meet for men of blood. 

But we are of the people, as are these 

Whom here thou seest around us, stone in hand ; 

And we, the people, love for cause those men, 

Our benefactors, whom thou seekest to slay — 

Wherefore, we know not, save perhaps it be 

Some ill persuasion thine that slanders them 

As enemies of our race, seditious men, 

Conspiring to do evil and not good. 

But, if we should as lief, as we should loth, 

Offer them violence, and if we could, 

As we could not, hope then to escape the stones 

Here seen uneasy in so many hands 

At only brandished threat of harm to them. 

Know, there is more than mail enduing these 

Inviolate against what human touch 

Might mean them wrong. Something intangible, 

Invisible, inaudible, unknown, 

A might as irresistible as strange, 

Not only arms them proof against assault, 

But issues from them in dread strokes of doom, 

Silent like lightning, and like lightning swift, 



314 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XII. 

And instantaneous deadly more than that. 

What prison-walls can prisoners hold these men? 

Hast thou not heard how Ananias fell, 

Sapphira too, his wife, dead at their feet, 

Fell at their feet stone-dead, when they but charged 

A lie unto the Spirit of the Lord 

On those twain twinned in judgment as in crime ? 

A dreadful visitation, as from God ; 

But, whencesoever issuing, dreadful yet ! 

No panoply have we against such stroke, 

Against the authors of such stroke, no power. 

Slay us, or get us slain, we can but die ; 

But die like Ananias will we not !" 

Saul Hstened with illimitable scorn ; 
And scorn incensed his rage thus crossed to be, 
Hopelessly crossed, by crass perversity. 
In rage and scorn, he scourged those men with words 
" There is no reasoning with minds like you ! — 
Too ignorant to guess how ignorant 
Ye are, and self-conceited in degree 
To match. Such ignorance, with self-conceit 
Such, renders blind indeed. What boots it I 
Should tell you superstition clouds your brain ? 



Book XII. SAUL AND THE APOSTLES, 3 15 

Your superstition would not let you hear. 
Your very senses, given by God to be 
The avenues of knowledge to your mind, 
Satan has clogged to truth, and made of them 
But open thoroughfares for lies from him 
To enter by and capture you his own. 
Mere Satan's lies those tales are that ye tell, 
Of prison-doors thrown wide mysteriously 
To let these men go free, and of deaths dealt 
By magic sentence weaponless from them — 
Mere Satan's lies those tales, or, were they true, 
Yet tokens only of Satanic power 
And craft permitted to disport them here 
For their destruction who to be destroyed 
Prove themselves greedy by such act as yours. 
Dupes of the devil, go, I pity you ! 
This is your weakness, not your villainy. 
I thought to make you helpers in my strife 
To save the souls of others, but your souls 
Themselves need saving first and most of all — 
If souls like yours of saving worthy be, 
Or capable ! Some different make of men 
From you, seems I must seek, to serve my need. 
Yet you I thank at least for this, that ye 



3i6 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XII , 

By your behavior show me what a sore, 
How seated, and how wide, into the heart 
Eats of my nation ! Lo, I take the cup, 
The full, the overflowing cup of shame 
Which ye this day wring out for me, that cup 
Take I with thanks from you, and to the dregs 
Drain it, in pledge, in pledge and sacrament. 
That I hereafter give myself more whole. 
More absolute, more consecrate, to one. 
One only, pure endeavor and desire. 
The utter rooting out — at cost how dear, 
No reckoning, mine or other's, toil, and tears. 
And blood — wherever Jewish name be found. 
Of this foul creeping rot and leprosy, 
This blight, this blast, this mildew, on our fame!' 

Saul, in the light of luminous wrath, foresaw 
Nigh, and saluted, that career, which thence, 
After Judaean cities overrun 
With havoc at his hand to Jesus' name. 
Will bear him ravening on Damascus road! 



BOOK XIII. 

SAUL AND SERGIUS- 



After further persecution accomplished by him in Judaea, 
Saul, with spirits recovered, sets out for Damascus to carry 
thither the persecuting sword. Pausing on the brow of hill 
Scopus to survey Jerusalem just left, he soliloquizes. At the 
same moment, there rides up a troop of Roman horse escort- 
ing a man who turns out to be Sergius Paulus, an old-time 
acquaintance of Saul's, also bound to Damascus. The two 
pursue their journey together, highly enjoying their ride in 
that charming season of spring weather, and delightedly 
conversing on the way. They talk over Greek literature, and 
in particular by starlight at the close of the first day's 
journey, Sergius Paulus having by occasion recited an 
apposite passage of Homer, Saul matches and contrasts this 
first with a psalm of David, and then additionally with a strain 
from the prophet Isaiah. This gives rise to conversation on 
ensuing days, in which religious questions are discussed. 
Sergius declares himself an atheist of the Epicurean sort, 
and he plies Saul with incredulous inquiries about the religion 
of the Jews — Saul answering with Hebrew conviction and 
earnestness. The two part company at Neapolis (Shechem) 
because Sergius Paulus halts there, and Saul, in the spirit of 
true Jewish strictness, will for his part not rest till he has 
quite passed the bounds of Samaria. 



SAUL AND SERGIUS. 

Not yet his fill of slaughter supped, though forth 
Afar the timorous flock of Jesus now 
Were from before his restless, ravening, fierce, 
Rapacious sword out of Judaea fled 
To alien lands remote, beyond the heights 
Of Hermon with their everlasting snows, 
And farther to the islands of the sea — 
Not yet, even so, his fill of slaughter supped, 
Saul had from the high-priest commission sought 
To search among the Hebrew synagogues 
Of Syrian Damascus, and thence bring 
Bound to Jerusalem whomever found, 
Woman or man, confessing Jesus Christ. 

The season was fresh flowering spring ; the earth 
Was glad with universal green to greet 
The sun once more, returned in his blue heaven 
After his winter's sojourn in the south. 



320 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIII. 

How blithe the welcome of the morning was, 
Forth looking from his east across the Hills 
Of Moab on the just awakening world ! 
Saul met it with a sense as if of spring 
And morning linking hand in hand for dance 
Together in the courses of his blood, 
As, mounted on a palfrey fresh and fleet, 
With servitors attendant following him, 
He issued jocund from Damascus gate. 
The animal spirits of youth and health in him, 
The joy of new adventure, the fine pulse 
Of life felt in the buoyant, bounding step 
With which his steed advanced him on the road, 
The secret pleasure of release at last, 
Release and long secure removal, won, 
Through growing leagues of distance interposed, 
From the abhorred access of Shimei — 
These, with the season and the hour so bright, 
Brightened the darkling heart of Saul to cheer- 
He was a radiant aspect, fair to see. 
Fronting his future with that sanguine smile ! 

The acclivity surmounted of a hill. 
Whence downward dipped his road, declining norths 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 32 1 

And farewell glimpse gave of Jerusalem, 
Saul rein drew on his foamy-flanked steed, 
And, about winding him, paused, looking back. 
His retinue, far otherwise than he 
Mounted, part even on foot, with sumpter beasts 
Bearing camp equipage, behind were fallen. 
These, presently come up, he lets pass on 
Before him in the way, while still at gaze. 
There on the back of his indignant steed 
Resentful to be curbed in mid-career — 
Companion hoofs heard leaving him behind — 
Saul sits, perusing, with an inner eye, 
Yet more than with his outer, what he sees. 
Half-shadow and half-light, Jerusalem 
He sees, smitten athwart her level roofs 
With sunshine from the horizontal sun, 
The temple of Jehovah in the midst, 
As if itself a sun, so dazzling bright 
With its refulgence of reflected beams ; 
While, round about, the warder mountains stand, 
Bathing their sacred brows in sacred light. 
Saul's heart distends immense with patriot's joy. 
Yet joy pierced through and through with patriot's 
pain. 



322 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIII 

" O beautiful for situation, thou, 
Jerusalem ! " he fervently bursts forth. 
" Peace be within thy walls, prosperity 
Within thy palaces ! Yea, yet again, 
Now for my brethren and companions' sakes, 
Say I, ' Within thee, peace ! ' Lo, my vow hear: 
For that the temple of the Lord my God 
Is in thee, I henceforth thy good will seek. 
And Thou, Jehovah in the heavens ! behold, 
Saul for himself that ancient promise claims : 
* Prosper shall he Jerusalem who loves.* 
For love not I Jerusalem, with love 
To anguish, for her anguish and her tears? 
Take pleasure in her stones, favor her dust, 
Q God, my God ! Is not the set time come ? 
Do I not hear Thee say : ' Awake, awake, 
Put on thy strength, O Zion, long forlorn, 
And beautiful thy garments put thou on, 
Jerusalem ! Henceforth no more shall come 
The uncircumcised into thee, nor the unclean!*'" 

" Amen ! " Saul added, with a gush of tears, 
The light mercurial feeling in his heart 
Less to sad sinking, weighted down, than all, 



BookXIIL SAUL AND SERGIUS, 323 

With fluent lapse, to pleasing pathos changed. 

Into that strain, so ardent and so true. 

Of patriot prayer, deeply had braided been, 

Half to himself unknown, a silent strand 

Of subtle self-regard, vague personal hope 

That would have spurned to be imprisoned in words: 

* The new Jerusalem that was to be, 

Should she not Saul her chief deliverer hail ! ' 

Musing, and praying, and beholding, so, 
Saul suddenly a sound of clanging hoofs 
Heard, and, his eyes quick thither turning, saw, 
Between hill Scopus, on whose top he stood. 
And the Damascus gate through which he came, 
Advancing toward him on the Roman road — 
Cemented solid with its rutted stones, 
Like an original stratum of the sphere — 
A turm of horse, large not, but formidable, 
Caparison and armor gleaming bright, 
And with a nameless air forerunning them 
Of wide-renowned might invincible 
Expressed in that momentous rhythmic tread 
Four-footed, underneath which from afar 
With pulse on pulse now rock to iron rang. 



324 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIII. 

The cavalcade, by slow degrees more slow, 
Moved up the acclivity till, reached the brow, 
Sank to a walk their pace, when Saul perceived 
An armed escort was convoying one 
Thereby betokened an ambassador, 
Somewhither posting on affair of state, 
Or haply citizen of high degree 
Honored with ceremonious retinue. 

This man regarded Saul with curious look 
Respectful, which almost admiring grew ; 
And gravely, as their mutual glances met. 
The youthful Roman to the youthful Jew 
Inclined in distant salutation meant 
For natural courtesy due from peer to peer. 
Saul, in like wise, his greeting gave him back ; 
Whereon the Roman, reining to one side 
His horse, and halting, said : " Peace, but methinks 
I saw thee late, months since it may have been. 
Where that fanatic Stephen suffered death 
With stoning at your angry elders' hands." 
*' I, in that act of punishment," said Saul, 
" As loyal Jew befitted, took my part." 
" Nay, but as now I read thy features nigh," 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS, 325 

Sudden more earnest grown, the Roman said, 
" Labors my brain with yet a different thought. 
Somewhere we twain must eadier still have met. 
In Tarsus I some boyish seasons spent; 
I there, by chance full well-remembered, knew 
A Hebrew-Roman boy whose name was Saul." 
" Then Sergius Paulus is thy name, " said Saul, 
" And Saul am I — and Saul to Sergius, peace ! " 
Who but as man and man just now had met 
Greeted again in sense of comradeship. 

"Thy face is toward Jerusalem," to Saul 
Said Sergius ; " but thy look is less of one 
Arriving, journey finished, than of one 
Forth setting on adventure planned abroad." 
'* I journey to Damascus," Saul replied • 
"And thither also I," said Sergius. 
Damascus-ward turned Saul his horse's head, 
And slowly, with the Roman, now resumed 
His onward way, while further Sergius said : 
" Having a brief apprenticeship at arms 
Accomplished, to Jerusalem I came, 
Centurion still, urged by desire to see 
Thy capital city, famed tiiroughout the world. 



326 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIII. 

Since witnessing — by lucky hap it fell 

My military duty to be there — 

Since witnessing that spectacle so strange 

Of Stephen's stoning — strange to Roman eyes, 

Yet to eyes Jewish doubtless quite as strange 

Our Roman fashion, hanging on the cross — 

All various ways of various tribes of men 

From clime to clime, delights me to observe — 

What comedy to the gods must we present ! — 

Since I saw Stephen slain with stones, I say, 

Good fortune, and some interest made for me 

At Rome, have given me this my welcome chance 

To travel and more widely see the world. 

Now to Damascus I as legate go." 

'' And of our Sanhedrim as legate, I, 

Said Saul, " if so without offence I may 

From Jewish mode to Gentile dare my speech 

Conform — legate, or hand executive, 

Say rather, in some certain offices 

Deemed needful, to consult my nation's weal. " 

With mutual question asked and answered, vein 
Of old-time boyish reminiscence shared 
Between them as together on they rode — 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 327 

Their horses pricking each the other's speed — 
The two soon overtook their retinues, 
Who, seeing their chiefs adjoined in comradeship, 
Themselves in comradeship dissolved their sense 
Of race and race to mix as men and men. 

So all day long together, side by side, 
Riding, or resting in the noontide shade, 
Sergius and Saul, a frank companionship, 
Immixed their minds in speech of many things. 
Young life, young health, glad sense of fair emprise, 
High-hearted hope of boundless futures theirs, 
Delicious weather and blithe season bland, 
Blue cloudless heaven forever overhead — 
By the sole sun usurped his tabernacle 
Whence sovran virtue beaming into all — 
Sweet voice of singing-bird, sweet smile of flower, 
Sweet breath exhaled from tender-fruited vine, 
Joy, a full feast, through every flooded sense — 
And, heightening aU, that billowy onward sway 
Of motion without effort on their steeds, 
Made, to those lord possessors of the world, 
Their talking like the coursing of their blood, 
Self-moved, or like the running of a brook 



328 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XIII. 

That laughs and sparkles on its downward way, 

As ceasing never from its hope to drain 

The fountain, brimming ever, whence it flows. 

Of arms, of art, and of philosophy, 
They spoke, and letters ; spoke, too, of the fame 
Of ancient Grecian masters of the mind, 
Who ruled, and rule, by charm of prose or verse. 
First, Homer, hoar with immemorial eld. 
Pouring his epics in that profluent stream 
Which, like his ocean, wandered round the world ; 
Bold Pindar, with his lyric ecstasies. 
On throbbing wings of exultation borne 
Into the empyrean, whence his song 
Broken descends in showers of melody ; 
Father of history, Herodotus, 
" Half poet, epic, or idyllic, he " — 
So, Saul thereto assenting, Sergius said — 
•' With his Ionic strain mellifluous 
Of wonder-loving artless narrative " ; 
Thucydides, the soul of energy ; 
iEschylus, Titan ; happy Sophocles ; 
With soft Euripides unfortunate ; 
Then Socrates, " Who wrote no books," said Saul, 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 329 

'* Or wrote most living books in living men ; 

Plato, the chiefest book of Socrates, 

Yet mind so large and so original 

That, in him reading what his teacher taught, 

One knows not whether Socrates it be, 

Or Socrates's pupil, that one reads " — 

•* Knows not, and, for delight, cares not to know, 

Full-sated with the feast of such discourse, 

So wealthy, wise, urbane, harmonious!" — 

Stung to enthusiasm, thus Sergius, 

Continuing what from Saul ceased incomplete. 

" Our Tully," added he, " from Plato's well 

Deepest his draughts drank of philosophy. 

And, thence inspired, wrote such sweet dialogue, 

Latin half seemed delectable as Greek. " 

"Yea, and a man of fine civility 

In manners as in mind, your Tully was," 

Said Saul ; " Cilicia keeps his memory green 

For virtues long in Roman rulers rare. 

His too a sounding, stately eloquence, 

And copious ; but Greek Demosthenes 

Pleases me better, with that stormy stress 

Of passion in him, reason on fire with love 

Or hatred, that indignant vehemence 



330 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIII. 

Which overwhelms us like a torrent flood, 
Or, like a torrent flood, upon its breast 
Lifts us, and tosses us, and bears us on ! 
He is more like our Hebrew prophets rapt 
Above themselves in sympathy with God." 

In talk like this the livelong day was spent ; 
Hardly the talkers heeding when they passed 
Meadows of flowers pied rich in colors gay, 
Poppy, anemone, convolvulus, 
Bright marigold wide yellowing belts of green 
Into a vivid gold that dazed the eye ; 
And heeding hardly if upsprang the lark 
From almost underneath their horses' hoofs, 
Startled to leave her humble hiding nest, 
And, soaring, better hide her otherwise 
Amid the blinding lightnings of the sun ; 
Such sights and sounds and glancing motions swift 
Scarce heeded — yet, as subtle influence, 
Admitted, each, to infuse insensibly 
Into their mood an added joyousness — 
The afternoon declined into the eve. 
Passed now a fountain on the wayside cliff". 
Coyly, through ferny leafage, shedding down 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS, 33 

Its weeping waters shown in fresher green, 
Up a long glen they mounted to a crest 
Of hill where opened a soft grassy plain — 
Inviting, should one wish his tent to spread — 
And here they twain their double camp bid pitch. 

Supper soon ended, Saul and Sergius, 
Ere sleep they seek, a hill, not far, ascend. 
The highest neighboring seen, less thence to view 
The landscape round them in the deepening dark 
Glooming, or even the heavens above their heads 
Brightening each moment in the deepening dark, 
Than youth's unused excess of strength to ease 
With exercise, and to achieve the highest. 
But there the splendors of the firmament. 
Enlarged so lustrous through that Syrian sky, 
Hailed such a storm of vertical starlight 
Downward upon their sense as through their sense 
Inward into their soul beat, and a while 
Mute held them, hushed with wonder and with awe, 
Awe to the Hebrew, to the Roman, joy. 
Then said the Roman : 

"This is like that place 
Of glorious Homer where he hangs the sky 



^T)2 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XI 11. 

Innumerably bright with moon and stars 
Over the Trojan host and their camp-fires : 

* Holding high thoughts, they on the bridge of war 
' Sat all night long, and many blazed their fires. 

* As when in heaven stars round the glittering moon 
' Shine forth exceeding beautiful, and when 

* Breathlessly tranquil is the upper air, 

* And in their places all the stars are seen, 
'And glad at heart the watching shepherd is; 

* So many, 'twixt the ships and Xanthus' streams, 
' Shone fires by Trojans kindled fronting Troy.' " 

" The spirit of Greece, with Greek simplicity, 
A nobleness all of Homer, there I feel," 
Concession checking with reserve, said Saul; 
" Our Hebrew, to us Hebrews, rises higher. 
Homer, unconscious of sublimity, 
Down all its dreadful height above our sphere 
Brings the august encampment of the skies — 
To count the number of the Trojan fires ! 
Our poet David otherwise beholds 
The brilliance of the nightly firmament, 
Seeing it mirror of the majesty 
Of Him who spread it arching over earth. 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. ZH 

And who yet stoops His awful thought to think 
Kindly of us as Father to our race, 
Nay, kingdom gives us, glory, honor, power, 
And all things subjugates beneath our feet. 
Let me some echoes from that harp awake 
To which, with solemn touches, this his theme 
Our psalmist David chanted long ago : 

* Jehovah, our dread Sovereign, how Thy Name 
' Is excellent in glory through the earth ! 

* Upon the heavens Thy glory hast Thou set ; 

* The heart of babe and suckling reads it there, 

* And, raised to rapture, utters forth Thy praise, 
' That mute may be the adversary mouth 

' Which would the ever-living God gainsay. 
*When I survey Thy heavens. Thy handiwork, 

* The moon, the stars, Thou didst of old ordain, 

* Man, what is he ? that Thou for him shouldst 

care, 

* The son of man, that Thou shouldst visit him. 

* For Thou hast made him hardly lower than God, 
'And dost with glory him and honor crown. 

' Dominion over all Thy works to wield 

* Thou madest him, and underneath his feet 

* Put'st all things, sheep and oxen, roaming beast. 



334 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIII. 

* And winging fowl, and swimming fish, and all 

* That passes through the pathways of the seas. 
'Jehovah, our dread Sovereign, how Thy Name 

* Is excellent in glory through the earth ! ' " 

Recited in slow solemn monotone, 
As with an inward voice muffled by awe. 
Those new and strange barbaric-sounding notes 
Of Hebrew music shut in measured words 
Smote on some deeper chord in Sergius' ear 
That, trembling, tranced him silent for a while. 
Then he said, rousing : " What a sombre strain ! 
From the light-hearted Greek how different ! " 

" Sombre thou callest it, and solemn I, 
Who find in such solemnity a joy ; 
But different, yea, from the light-thoughted Greek. " 
Less as in converse than soliloquy 
Deep-musing so to Sergius Saul replied. 
" Our bard Isaiah modulates the strain 
Into another mood less pastoral. 
He pours divine contempt on idol gods, 
On idol gods and on their worshippers ; 
And then majestically hymns His praise 
Who made yon host of heaven and leads them out. 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 335 

* To whom then will ye hken God ? ' he cries, 

* Or what similitude to Him compare ? 
'The skilled artificer an image forms, 

* And this the goldsmith overlays with gold, 

* And tricks it smartly out with silver chains : 

* Or haply one too poor for cost like this 

' Chooseth him out a tree judged sound and good, 
' And seeks a cunning workman who shall thence 
' Grave him an image that may shift to stand ! 

* But nay, ye foolish, have ye then not known ? 

* Not heard have ye ? You hath it not been 

told 
' From the remote beginning of the world ? 
' From the foundations of the ancient earth 
' Have ye indeed so missed to understand ? 
' He sits upon the circle of the earth 

* And they that dwell therein are grasshoppers ; 
' He as a curtain doth the heavens outspread, 

* And makes a blue pavilion of the sky. 

'To whom then will ye liken Me ? saith God ; 

* Whom shall I equal ? saith the Holy One. 

' Lift up your eyes on high, the heavens behold — • 
' Who hath these things created ? who their host 
' By number bringeth out, and all by names 



33^ THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIII. 

'Calls? By the greatness of His might, for that 
• So strong in power is He, not one star fails/" 

The deep tones ceased, and once more silence fell 
Between those two amid the silent night. 
But Sergius, lightly rallying soon to speech, 
Said, with a ready, easy sympathy : 
" There seems indeed to breathe in such a strain 
Some solemn joy, but the solemnity 
Is greater, and my spirit is oppressed. 
Not less your poets differ from the Greek 
In matter than in manner, when they sing. 
How high you make your deity to be, 
Beyond the stature of the gods of Greece ! 
Homer has Zeus compel the clouds, forth flash 
The lightnings, and the thunderbolts down hurl ; 
The mightiest meddler with the world, his Zeus, 
Yet of the world the mighty maker not. 
But your Jehovah reaches even to that. 
As with his fingers fashioning yonder heaven, 
And fixing in their station moon and stars. 
And he in human things concerns himself! 
The Epicurean gods are cold and calm ; 
On high Olympus far withdrawn they sit. 



BookXIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS, '^^^ 

And smile, and either not at all regard 
Our case, or, if so be regarding, smile 
Still, unconcerned, our case however hard. 
Your Flebrew God is much more amiable. 
But much more probable that Olympian crew ; 
Nay, probable not at all is either ; dream, 
Fond dream, the fable of divinities 
Who either care, or care not, for our case. 
We are the creatures and the sport of chance, 
Puppets tossed hither and thither in idle play, 
A while, a little while, fooled to suppose 
We do the dancing we are jerked to do — 
And then, resolved from our compacture brief 
Into the atoms which once on a time 
Together chanced and so were we, we drop 
Plumb down again into the great inane 
Abyss, and recommence the eternal whirl ! 
There is that Epicurean cosmogony. 
An endless cycle of evolution turned 
Upon itself, in worlds forevermore 
Becoming, out of worlds forevermore 
Merging in their original elements : 
No god, or gods, to tangle worse the skein 
Inextricably tangled by blind chance ! " 



33^ I'HE EPIC OF SA UL. Book XIII. 

Saul was affronted, but he held his peace, 
Brooding the while his jealousy for God. 
At length, with intense calm, he spoke and said : 
" The Hebrew spirit is severe and says, 
* The fool it is who in his secret heart. 
Rebelling, wills no God.' ' The Hebrew spirit,' 
Said I 1 Forget those unadvised words ; 
For to speak so is not the Hebrew spirit. 
God is a jealous God ; Flis glory He 
Will to another not divide ; and God 
Himself it is, the Living God, and not 
What, Gentile fashion, my rash lips miscalled 
*The Hebrew spirit,' that charges atheism 
With folly. God His prophet psalmist bade 
Write with a diamond pen on adamant 
That stern damnation of the atheous soul : 
' The fool hath in his heart said, God is not. ' 
This tell I thee my conscience so to cleanse 
Of sin in saying 'The Hebrew spirit' for God." 

With tolerant wonder, Sergius heard and said : 
" A strangely serious race you Hebrews are ; 
I do not think I understand you yet. 
I shall be glad to-morrow, if so please 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS, 339 

Thee likewise, to renew this night's discourse." 
So they descended from the hill and slept. 

The herald Dawn, white-fingered, from the east 
Had signalled to the stars, ' He comes ! He comes!' 
And these, veiling themselves from view with light, 
Had all into the unapparent deep 
Retired, and left the hemisphere of heaven. 
Late glowing wnth their fixed or wandering fires, 
One crystal hollow of pure space made void 
To be a fit pavilion for the sun, 
When forth from their encampment rode the twain, 
Fresh as the morning from the baths of sleep, 
And keen with hunger for the forward road. 
"The allotment of my tribe," said Saul — "my tribe 
Is Benjamin — in measure such, bare rock 
And rugged hill, hardly through age-long toil 
Of tilth so clothed as we have seen them clothed. 
In terrace above terrace of won soil, 
With verdure — that, we leave behind, to cross 
This day the fatter fields of Ephraim." 
Then Saul to Sergius rehearsed in short 
The tale of Hebrew history, how God, 
Having his fathers out of Egypt brought, 



340 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XIII. 

With sign and wonder thence delivering them 
And hither led them through the parted sea, 
And past the smoking top of Sinai — 
Touched by the finger of God to burn with fire 
And thunder and lighten more than man could bear 
To see or hear, in sanction of His law — 
Had lastly parcelled out this land to them 
In portions by their tribes to be their rest. 

While Saul to Sergius so discoursing spoke, 
Over their right the sun, long since uprisen. 
Climbed the steep slope of morning in the sky. 
And now the summit of a ridge those twain 
Reach, whence, straightforward looking, they behold, 
In light so bright, through air so fair, a scene 
Of the most choice the eye can rest upon. 
A wide and long champaign of fruitful green. 
On either side hemmed in with skirting hill, 
Stretches before them to the bounding sky. 
Where Hermon, scarce descried through distance dim. 
Silvers with frost each morn his crown of snows. 
Descended, they therein, through billowing wheat 
Wind-swayed, might, to a watcher from the hill, 
Seem laboring like two swimmers in the surf, 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 34 1 

And hardly, in the fluctuation, way 

Making whither they went ; yet swiftly borne 

Were they, and easily, onward. Soon Saul said — 

And therewith pointed to two mountain peaks, 

Seen towering on the left to lordly height, 

Twin warders of a lesser vale between, 

In stature twin and twin in symmetry — 

" Ebal and Gerizim yon mountains are, 

And these between the vale of Shechem lies, 

Theatre once of oath and sacrament 

Enacted by my nation with dread rite. 

'A strangely serious race', thou yesterday 

Calledst us Hebrews , strangely frivolous race 

Surely were we, if somewhat serious not. 

For we are heirs of serious history. 

Yon natural amphitheatre thou seest, 

Circled and sloped against those mountain sides 

With spacious interval of plain enclosed ; 

There was the oath of our obedience sworn. 

On Ebal half our tribes, and half our tribes 

On Gerizim, stood opposite, and midst, 

The tribe of Levi, God's peculiar tribe. 

Stood in the vale about the ark of God, 

Whence Joshua, our great captain, read the law — - 



342 THE EPIC OF. SAUL, Book XIII. 

He and the Levites, ocean-like the sound — 

With blessing or with curse by God adjoined 

As disobedient or obedient we. 

This was when scarce our fathers had set foot 

Hitherside Jordan in the promised land ; 

They from their stronghold camp came here express 

To swear such solemn covenant with God. 

Six hundred thousand souls of fighting-men, 

With women and with children fourfold more, 

Ranged on the one side or the other, joined 

To them that mustered in the middle vale. 

All heard the threatening or the gracious words, 

And all, in multitudinous answer, said 

* Amen ! ' — the tribes on Ebal to the curse, 
And to the blessing, those on Gerizim, 
Replying — choral imprecation dire 
Upon themselves of every human ill. 

If disobedient found, of promised good 
Acceptance at the price, acknowledged just, 
Of whole obedience to God's holy law. 
It was as if Jehovah had adjured 
All things, above, below. His witnesses, 

* Hear, O ye heavens, and thou, O earth, give 

ear, 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS, 343 

While thus My people covenant swear with Me.' 
The host of Israel, though such numbers, heard — 
These mountain-sides redouble so the voice. " 

" Theatric sacramental rite most weird, " 
Said Sergius, " thou hast described to me. 
Sure never elsewhere did lawgiver yet, 
With ceremony such, a people swear 
To obedience of his laws. The laws, I trow. 
Subscribed and sealed with signature so strange. 
Strange must have been. Example couldst thou 
give?" 

" Of all those laws," said Saul, " doubtless the law 
To Gentile ears the strangest, is the first ; 
That law it is which makes the Jew a Jew : 

' Other than Me no god shalt thou confess ; 

' Image, resemblance, none, molten or carved, 

' Of whatsoever thing in heaven, or earth, 

* Or hidden region underneath the earth, 

' Fashion to thee shalt thou, or bow thee down 

* In service or in worship unto them ; 

' For I the Lord thy God a jealous God 

* Am, and I visit the iniquity 

' Of fathers upon children, chastisement, 



344 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book XIII. 

* In long entail, on generation linked 

* To generation, following hard the line 

' Of such as hate Me, endless mercy shown 
' To such as love Me and observe My law. 
' Cursed be he who dares to disobey ' ; 
And Ebal, with its countless multitude, 
Thundered to Gerizim a loud ' Amen ! ' 
While heaven above and the wide world around 
Hearkened in witness of the dreadful oath. " 

Saul ceased as mute with awe of memory ; 
And something of a sympathetic sense, 
Communicated, also Sergius made 
Silent in presence of such history. 
Not long, for, rousing from his reverie, 
And looking up before him nigh, he sees 
A city with its walls and roofs and towers. 
" Neapolis !" exclaims the Roman voice. 
The Jewish, in tone different, " Sychar ! " said. 
'' Neapolis! And here I halt," said Sergius; 
" Sychar ! And forward through Samaria, I, 
Not pausing till this hateful soil be passed," 
Said Saul ; " perchance to-morrow met again, 
Beyond, we may together forward fare." 



Book XIII. SAUL AND SERGIUS. 345 

So there they parted with such slight farewell ; 
Nor after met, until, two morrows more 
Now spent in separate travel, they had reached 
The bursting fountain of the Jordan, where, 
Forth from between the feet of Hermon born 
Forever — in the joy and anguish born, 
The certain anguish and the doubtful joy 
Tumultuous of an everlasting birth — 
Leaps to the light of life that famous stream. 
Like many another child — -from Adam sprung — 
To run his heedless, headlong, downward course 
And lose himself at last in the Dead Sea ! 
Here was what life, all-welcoming, lusty life, 
Doom of what deadly worse than death was there! 

A city here the tetrarch Philip built. 
Or raised to more magnificent, which then, 
In honor of dishonorable name 
Imperial, Tiberius Caesar, he 
Called Csesarea, and Philippi too 
Eponymous therewith for surname joined ; 
But Paneas, earlier name, clung to the place, 
As to this day it clings in Banias. 



BOOK XIV. ■ 

FOR DAMASCUS. 



Coming together again at Caesarea Philippi (Paneas, Bani- 
as) after an interval of days, Saul and Sergius cross the 
southern spur of Hermon. A violent thunderstorm comes 
slowly up during the afternoon, which gives Sergius occasion, 
by way of mask to his own secret disquietude, to quote his 
Epicurean poet Lucretius on the subject of Jupiter's control 
of thunderbolts. As the storm increases in violence, the 
fears of Sergius overpower him, and he breaks down at last 
into a deprecatory prayer and vow to Jupiter. Saul then, 
the storm still raging, rehearses from Scripture appropriate 
fragments of psalm, timing them to the various successive 
bursts of tempest. The sound of a tranquil human voice has 
a quieting effect on Sergius, and even on the frightened 
steeds of the two travellers. The storm ceases, and they pass 
the night under a serene sky, ready to set out the next morn- 
ing for the last stage of their journey to Damascus. 



FOR DAMASCUS. 

The splendor of the morning yet once more 
Was a theophany in Syria, 
When Saul and Sergius, met, from Paneas 
Started, with mind to overpass that day 
The spur of Hermon interposed between 
Them and Damascus. 

'' Strange the human bent, " 
Said Saul, " the universal human bent, 
Toward worship of unreal divinities ! 
' Paneas !' The very sound insults the name 
And solitary majesty of God, 
Jehovah, Ever-living, Only True. 
Think of it ! ' Pan', forsooth ! And God, who made 
These things which we behold, these waters, woods, 
And mountains, glens, and rocky cliffs, and caves. 
Who these things made, and made the mind of man 
Capacious of Himself, or capable 
At least of knowing Him Creator, such 



350 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIV. 

A God thrust from His own creation forth, 

By His own noblest creature thus thrust forth, 

That a rough, rustic, gross, grotesque, burlesque, 

Goat-footed, and goat-bearded, horned and tailed 

Divinity like Pan, foul caricature 

At best of man himself who fashions him, 

And out of wanton fancy furnishes him 

His meet appendages of brute wild beast — 

That this deform abortion of the brain 

Might take the room, made void, of God outcast, 

And, with his ramping, reeling, riotous rout 

Of fauns and satyrs, claim to be adored ! 

I feel the Hebrew blood within me boil 

At outrage such from man on God and man ! 

Phoebus Apollo seems an upward reach 

Of human fancy in theogony ; 

Some height, some aspiration, there at least. 

Toward what in man, if not the noblest, yet 

Is nobler than the beasts that browse, or graze. 

Apollo, too, I hate, but I loathe Pan ! " 

" We Romans are more catholic than you 
Hebrews," said Sergius, " more hospitable 
To different peoples' different gods. Our own 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS, 35 ^ 

Synod of native deities we have, 

But we make room for others than our own. 

From Greece we have adopted all her gods, 

And all the gods of Egypt and the East 

Are domiciled at Rome — all save your god, 

Jehovah, his pretensions overleap 

The bounds of even our hospitality, 

Who not on any terms of fellowship 

Will sit a fellow with his fellow-gods. 

Him sole except, it is our policy 

To entertain with wise indifference 

In brotherly equality all gods 

Of whatsoever nations of the earth. 

A temple at Rome have we, Pantheon called. 

So called as to this end expressly built 

That there no human god might lack a home. 

Such is our Roman way ; your Hebrew way 

Is different ; different races, different ways." 

Sergius so spoke as if concluding all 

With the last word of wisdom to be said ; 

He paused, and Saul mused whether wise it were 

To answer, when thus Sergius further spoke : 

" I marked late, when * Neapolis ! ' I said, 

* Sychar !' saidst thou, in tone as if of scorn ; 



352 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XIV. 

* Hateful,' thou also calledst Samarian soil — 
Wherefore? if I may know." •' ' Sychar,' said Saul, 
" Imports deceit, and there deceit abounds. 
From the Samaritans we Jews refrain ; 
Corrupters they of the right ways of God. 
Across their soil we either shun to go, 
Or, going, hasten with unpausing feet." 

" Those also have their ways ! " said Sergius ; 
" Such humors of the blood thou wilt not cure. 
Worship Jehovah ye, it is your way. 
And let us Gentiles serve our several gods, 
Or serve them not, be atheists if we choose — 
I, as thou knowest, an atheist choose to be — 
Of comity and peace the sole safe rule. 
This therefore is the sum — I say it again — 
Ways diverse worship men, or worship not, 
All as our natural bents may us incline. 
Keep your Jehovah, you, He is your God, 
Chosen, or feigned and fashioned to your mind — 
Keep Him, but not impose your ethnic dream, 
Or guess, of deity on all mankind." 

" No dream of ours," said Saul, " Jehovah is. 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS. 353 

Nay, nay, alas, far otherwise than so, 

Our Hebrew dreams of God have, like the dreams 

Dreamed by all races of mankind besides, 

Grovelled to low and lower, have bestial been, 

Or reptile, nay, to insensate wood and stone 

Descended ; we have loved idolatry, 

We, with the rest, and hardly healed have been. 

Though purged with hyssop of dire history, 

Constrained — against the subtly treacherous soft 

Relentings of our heart, oft yielded to. 

Then punished oft full sore, which bade us spare 

Whom God to spare forbade — constrained to slay 

With our own swords, abolish utterly, 

The idolatrous possessors of this land, 

In judgment just on their idolatry. 

And lest we too be tainted with their sin ; 

Yet foul relapse despite, and after, stripes, 

Stripes upon stripes again and yet again. 

Suffered from the right hand of God incensed, 

Defeat, captivity, long servitude. 

With the probe searched, with the knife carved until 

Scarce left was life to bear the cautery 

Wherewith a holy and a jealous God 

Out of our quivering soul throughly would burn 



354 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIV. 

That clinging, deep, inveterate human plague 

Inherited from Adam in his fall, 

That devil-taught depravity which prompts 

Apostasy to other gods no gods — 

Hardly so healed, with dreadful chastisement, 

Has been my nation of her dreadful crime. 

Loth, slow, ingrate, rebellious pupils, we 

Taught have been thus to worship only God — 

Jehovah, only God of the whole earth ! " 

Those last words as he spoke, Saul his right hand 
Swept round in waving gesture — for they now 
A height of goodly prospect had attained, 
Wherefrom, pausing to breathe their laboring steeds, 
They backward looked beneath them far abroad — 
Swept round his hand, as if the circuit wide 
Of the whole earth might there his words attest ; 
Their fill they gazed, then upward strained once more. 
At length a stage of smoother going reached, 
Sergius, abreast of Saul, took up the word : 
" Yea, might one deem thy Hebrew race indeed 
Had been the subjects of such history. 
So purposed, then sound were thine argument 
And thy Jehovah would be very God, 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS, 355 

And God alone, and God of the whole earth. 
But other races too besides thine own 
Have had their chances, their vicissitudes ; 
Fortune to all has served her whirling wheel, 
And every several race has had its turn 
Of rising now, now sinking in the dust. 
Wherefore should we you Hebrews sole of all 
Reckon divinely taught by history, 
Taught to be theists in an atheist world, 
Or in a world idolatrous, of God 
The True, the Only, only worshippers ? " 

" The other nations all," so Saul rejoined, 
" Followed the bent of nature, had their will, 
What they chose did, and were idolatrous, 
God gave them up to their apostasy ; 
Us God withstood, His Hebrews He forbade ; 
With the same bent as others, as headstrong, 
We Hebrews strangely went a different way, 
And upward moved against a downward bent. 
A fiery flaming sword turned every way 
Forever met us on the errant track. 
And forced us right though still found facing wrong. 
God's prophets did not fail, age after age — 



356 THE EPIC OE SAUL, Book XIV. 

Until for that we needed them no more — 

To warn us, chide us, threaten, plead, conjure, 

Against our passion for idolatry. 

Yet, as defying all that God could do. 

Such was the force of that infatuate love 

Fast-rooted in the sottish Hebrew heart 

For idol-worship, that King Solomon, 

The greatest, wisest, wealthiest of our kings, 

Mightiest, most famous, most magnificent, 

The glory and the crown of Israel, 

The wonder and the proverb of the East — ■ 

This king, at point of culmination highest 

To the far-shining splendor of our race. 

The son of David, Solomon, turned back 

From God who gave him his pre-eminence, 

From God, the Living God, turned back, and sold 

His heart, his spacious, all-experienced heart, 

To gods that were no gods. 

" Against a will, 
A set of nature, a prime pravity 
Stubborn like this, and tenfold impulse given 
Through such example in our first of kings, 
That, conflagration of infection round, 
We should escape and not idolatrous be, 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS. 357 

We only of all nations on the earth, 

This, without miracle, were miracle, 

A miracle of chance, confounding chance. 

Monstrous, incredible, impossible ! 

Nay, miracles on miracles were for us wrought, 

The manifest finger of God unquestionable. 

Yet to ourselves ourselves, to all men we. 

Wisely looked on, are chiefest miracle. 

Witness from age to age that God is God." 

With Hebrew heat, thus Saul to Sergius ; 
The frequent steep ascents meanwhile, the halts 
For rest, for prospect, or for dalliance 
Under some cooling shade of rock or tree — 
Shield from the waxing fervors of the sun — 
Slack pace, due to the humors of their steeds 
Unchidden while their masters held discourse, 
Left the twain still below the topmost crest 
Of Hermon when the noontide hour was on. 
Large leisure to refection and repose 
Allowed, with converse, and mid-afternoon 
It was, before to horse again were got 
The horsemen, and their forward way resumed 
As, lightly, they into the saddle sprang, 



^^S THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIV. 

Out of a purple-dark dense cloud that slept 
Wakefully now along the horizon's rim 
Under the flaming sun in the deep west, 
There came a roll of thunder to their ears, 
Remote, and mellow with remoteness, rich 
Bass music in long rumbling monotone ; 
They listened with delight to hear the sound. 

Then Sergius, as the vibration died 
In low delicious tremble from their sense. 
Said, coupling this with that in Saul's discourse. 
Fresh, or remembered from the days before : 
"That thunder and this mountain bring to me, 
Imagined, the wild scene on Sinai 
When your lawgiver gave his laws to you. 
He schemed it well to have a thunder-storm 
Chime in and be a brave accompaniment 
To enforce his ordinances upon the awe 
Of the unthinking timorous multitude. 
Popular leaders and lawgivers have 
Always and everywhere their tricks of trade, 
To impress, hoodwink, and wheedle vulgar minds. 
Our Sabine Numa, he Pompilius named, 
Had his mysterious nymph Egeria 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS, 359 

To bring him statutes for all men to heed ; 
And that Lycurgus got an oracle 
From famous Delphi to approve his laws, 
Which having sworn his Spartans to observe 
At least till he returned from whither he went 
Abroad, he, after, masked in such disguise 
That never thence to have returned he seemed. 
The herd of men still love to be cajoled, 
Trolled hither and thither about with baited lies ; 
Frighten them now with brandished empty threat, 
And now with laud as empty tickle them. 
Augustus taught the art to tyrannize 
Through forms of ancient freedom false and vain, 
The stale trick since of all our emperors. 
Your Hebrew Moses in his rude grand way 
Well plied his shifts of lead and government. " 

Thunder, a rising mutter, broke again. 
And Sergius in his saddle turned to look ; 
But Saul, with forward face intent, replied : 
" Nay, but our Moses thou dost misconceive. 
All was to lose and naught to gain for him 
Then when he left the ease, the pomp, the power, 
Of Pharaoh's court — of Pharaoh's daughter son 



360 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XIV. 

Esteemed, and to imperial futures heir — 

This left, and loth his brethren led, slaves they, 

Out of the realm of Egypt to the sea — 

For such a multitude impassable, 

Yet passed, through mighty miracle, by all — 

Beyond the sea, into that wilderness 

Led them, where neither food nor water was, 

Yet food found they, and water, in the waste, 

Full forty years of error till they came 

Next to a land set thick with bristling spears 

Against them — though land promised them for theirs — 

And land that Moses never was to see, 

Save as afar in prospect from the mount. 

Because unworthy judged to enter there, 

Who unadvised words in haste let slip. 

Unworthy judged, and meekly by himself 

Recorded judged unworthy — such a man, 

To such a people, so long led by him, 

Through such straits of extremity, not once 

Spake words to humor or to flatter them ; 

Thwarted them rather, balked them of their wish, 

Upbraided, blamed, rebuked, and punished them, 

Each art of selfish demagogue eschewed. 

To rule and leadership like his, nowhere 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS, 36 1 

Wilt thou find precedent or parallel; 

One key alone unlocks the mystery — God ! " 

At that last word from Saul, like answer, came 
A deep-mouthed boom of thunder from the west, 
After a sword of lightning sudden drawn 
Then sheathed within the scabbard of the cloud, 
Which now, spread wide, had blotted out the sun. 
A vagrant breath of tempest shook the trees, 
And the scared birds flew homeward to their nests. 
Sergius remarked the stir of elements 
Uneasily the more that he alone 
Remarked it, Saul, involved in his own thought, 
Seeming unconscious of the outward world. 
The Roman, groping in his secret mind 
Vainly to find support of sympathy. 
Faltered to feel himself thus fronted sole 
With danger he could neither ward nor shun, 
In presence yet forbidding sign of fear. 

In this distress he buoyed himself with words. 
Cheer seeking in the sound of his own voice : 
" A merry place that in Lucretius 
Where this bold poet rallies Jupiter — 



3^2 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIV. 

The whole Olympian crew, Jupiter most — 

In such a rattling vein of pleasantry, 

On his plenipotence with thunderbolts ! 

Lucretius, thou shouldst know, interpreter 

Of Epicurus is to Roman minds ; 

From whom we moderns learn the truth of things 

And generation of the universe. 

' If Jupiter,' Lucretius sings and says, 

* If Jupiter it be, and other gods, 

' That with terrific sound the temple shake, 
' Shake the resplendent temple of the skies, 
' And launch the lightning whither each one wills, 
' Why is it that the strokes transfix not those 

* Guilty of some abominable crime, 

' As these within their breast the flames inhale, 

* Instruction sharp to mortals — why not this, 
' Rather than that the man of no base thing 

' To himself conscious should be wrapt about 
' Innocent in the flames, and suddenly 

* With whirlwind and with fire from heaven con- 

sumed ? 
' Also, why seek they out, the gods, for work 

* Like this, deserted spots, and waste their pains ? 

* Or haply do they then just exercise 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS. 363 

' Their muscles, that thereby their arms be strong ? ' " 

Sergius so far, from his Lucretius, 
When the cloud, cloven, let out an arrowy flash, 
And, following soon, a muffled muttering threat 
Prolonged, that ended in a ragged roar — 
As if, with angry rupture, violent hands 
Atwain had torn the fabric of the sky. 
A shuddering pause, but again Sergius, 
Flying his poet's gibes at Jupiter : 

" * Why never from a sky clear everywhere 

* Does Jupiter upon the lands hurl down 

' His thunderbolts, and thunder-booms outpour ? 

* Or, when the clouds have come, does he descend 
' Then into them that nigh at hand he thence 

* The striking of his weapon may direct ? ' " 

One sheet of flame the bending welkin wrapt, 
And a broadside of thunder roared amain. 
With mortal strife against a mortal fear, 
Hidden, the Roman struggled, not in vain — 
As, faltering yet from his feigned gayety, 
He, in a forced voice almost grim, went on 
With that Lucretian blasphemy of Jove : 

*' * Why lofty places seeks out Jupiter, 



364 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIV, 

' And why most numerous vestiges find we 

* Traced of his fires on lonely mountain-tops ? ' " 

No farther — flash on flash and crash on crash, 
Chaos of light and universe of sound ! — 
For the wdnd roared a tumult like the sea 
Which the gulfs filled between the thunder-peals. 

One mighty blast, frantic as battle-charge 
When, mad with last despair, ten thousand horse 
Headlong into the hell at cannon-mouth 
Plunge — such a blast rushed down the rent ravine 
Whereby, along a shaggy side, the twain. 
Now nigh the utmost mountain summit, climbed. 
The glacial air, as in a torrent rolled 
Precipitous or vertical sheer down 
Some dizzy height in cataract, so swift ! 
Unhorsed them both ; but, crouching, man and steed, 
With one wise instinct instantly to all. 
Which equalled all — supreme desire of life — 
They huddling crept transverse to where a rock 
On their right hand lifted its moveless brow 
And, safely founded in the mountain's base, 
Made, leaning, an impendent roof which now 
Proffered a dreadful shelter from the storm. 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS. 365 

Hardly this refuge gained, the tempest, loosed, 
Hailstones and coals of fire commingled, fell. 
The wind, with such a weight oppressed, went down, 
And, with the sinking wind, a water-spout. 
Whirled roaring in its spiral from on high. 
Those watchers saw peel off, with one steep swoop 
Descending, a whole mountain-top and roll 
Its shattered forest into the ravine 
Suddenly thus with foaming torrent filled. 
Therewith, as weary were the storm, a lull ; 
Lull only, for the welkin seemed to sink 
Collapsed about them, and what was the sky 
Became the nether atmosphere on fire, 
Enrobing them with lightning fold on fold 
And thunder detonating at their ears. 

Sergius, ere shut had seared his eyes the glare, 
Saw a gigantic cedar nigh at hand, 
Under a flaming wedge of thunderbolt. 
Riven in parted halves from head to foot, 
Fall burning down the frightful precipice. 
Spite of himself, his terror turned to prayer : 
" O Jupiter," he said, '* it was not meant, 
What I spoke late against thy majesty ! 



366 THE EPIC OF SA UL, Book XIV. 

Spare me yet this once more, and I a vow, 
A pledged rich vow, will in thy temple hang. 
Then when I first shall safe reach Rome, inscribed 
* From Sergius Paulus to King Jupiter, 
Lord of the lightning and the thunderbolt.'" 

" 'Give ye unto Jehovah,' " so at last. 
Fragments of psalm responsive to the storm — 
As in antiphony of worship joined. 
He and the elements ! — chanting, Saul burst forth, 
At intervals, between the swells of sound, 
And varying to the tempest's varying phase, 

" * Give ye unto Jehovah, lo, all ye 

• Sons of the mighty, to Jehovah give 

* Glory and strength; unto Jehovah give 
*The equal glory due unto His name ; 

' Worship Jehovah in fair robes of praise ! " 

" ' Deep calleth unto deep at the dread noise 
*Made by Thy waterspouts. The earth, it shook 
•And trembled ; the foundations of the hills 
'Moved and were shaken for that He was wroth. 
'The heavens moreover bowed He, and came down, 
'He His pavilion round about Him made 
*Dark waters and the thick clouds of the skies. 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS. 367 

" 'Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, 
'And therein the Most High gave forth His voice, 
'Hailstones and coals of fire! 

** 'Jehovah's voice 
•In power! 

"'Jehovah's voice in majesty ! 

"'Jehovah's voice is on the waters ! God, 
'The God of glory thunders ! 

" ' Lo, His voice, 
'Jehovah's voice, the mighty cedar breaks, 
'Jehovah's voice divides the flames of fire! 

" ' Praise ye Jehovah, heavens of heavens, and ye 
'Waters that be above the heavens. Him praise ! 
'Praise ye Jehovah, from the earth beneath, 
'Thou fire, thou hail, thou snow, and vapors ye, 
'Thou, stormy wind that dost fulfil His word !'" 

So Saul, in dialogue with the elements, 
That heard him, and responded voice for voice. 
Sublimity into sublimity 
Other, immeasurable heights more high. 
Was lifted and transformed, the terror gone. 
Gone or exalted to ennobling awe — 



J 



68 THE EPIC OF SAUL, Book XIV 



In converse such, God, with His image man ! 

The thunder, and the lightning, and the hail 

Falling in power, the pomp of moving clouds, 

The sound of torrent and of cataract, 

The multitudinous orchestra of winds — 

Trumpet and pipe, resounding cymbal loud^ 

Timbrel and harp, sackbut and psaltery — 

The majesty of cedars prostrate strewn 

In utmost adoration, the veiled sun, 

The kneeling heavens, face downward on the earth, 

In act of penitence as found unclean 

By the white-burning holiness of God — 

All this wild gesture of the elements 

And deep convulsion of the frame of things, 

Appalling only erst, interpreted 

By interjections such from Saul of phrase 

Inspired, seemed from confusion and turmoil 

Transposed and harmonized to an august 

Service and symphony of prayer and praise 

And solemn liturgy of the universe. 

Sergius was charmed insensibly to peace. 
And a calm human voice had subtle power 
To soothe to breathing rest the trembling steeds. 



Book XIV. FOR DAMASCUS, 369 

And now began the cadence of the storm ; 
Lifted the sky was from the burdened earth. 
The Hghtnings flashed less imminent, less thick. 
The thunder dulled his stroke, retired to far 
And farther in the muffling firmament, 
The hail ceased falling in a fall of rain, 
Through which at last the low descending sun 
Smiled in a rainbow on the opposite cloud. 
"God's sign," said Saul, " His seal of promise set 
Oft on the clouds of heaven when storm is past, 
In radiant curve of blended colors fair, 
That He with flood no more will drown the world." 

Therewith they got them to their path again, 
And, forward hastening, on the farther slope 
Of Hermon overpassed, were met by some 
Returning of their escort companies 
Who sought their laggard masters left behind. 
These had crossed earlier, and, before the storm, 
Housed them in covert, where all now with joy 
Welcomed their chiefs from threatened scath escaped 
They slept that night beneath a starry sky 
Fair as if wrinkled never by a frown ; 
To-morrow they would see that paradise, 



Z70 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XIV 

Renowned Damascus, pearl of all the East. 
This their sleep filled with dream of things to be, 
Until the morning breaking radiant made 
The desert seem to blossom as the rose 
Wherein Damascus sat an oasis. 



BOOK XV. 

SAUL AN D JESUS, 



The scene of the poem changes, being transferred to Para- 
dise. Here a group composed of those who had come to 
their death by the hands of Saul assemble, privileged by 
special grace to witness from their celestial station the happy 
overthrow and conversion of their late persecutor. Sergius 
applies his interpretation of the occurrence, and Saul finishes 
his journey on foot, blind, led by the hand into Damascus. 



SAUL AND JESUS. 

Without the limits of this earthly sphere, 
Immeasurable distances beyond 
The region of the utmost fixed stars, 
Nay, high above all height, transcending space. 
Transcending time, subsists a different world, 
Invisible, inapprehensible 
To whatsoever power of human sense, 
All unimaginable even — so far 
Removed from aught that ever we on earth 
Have seen, or heard, or felt, or known, or guessed. 
Believed in only, and not otherwise 
Than to the vision of meek Faith revealed 
(Though indefeasible inheritance 
Reserved for her fruition after death). 
Yet is that world unknown substantial more 
Than all this solid-seeming universe 
Of matter round about us that assaults 
Our senses daily with its imminence, 



374 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XV. 

Its impact, as if nothing else were real ! 

But till the destined moment, we must deem, 

Much more, must speak, of that transcendent world, 

And of our human brethren there insphered, 

In figure borrowed of our mortal state. 

While those things nigh Damascus so befell, 
And now the night was almost waned to morn, 
Its different morning in that different world 
Dawned to the saints forever summering there 
In bliss and glory with their glorious Lord. 
Morning in the celestial Paradise 
Is not as morning here, new-springing day 
Crescent the same out of eclipsing night : 
No night is there, and therefore no vicissitude 
Of dark and bright to separate the days. 
Yet condescends our Father to their frame, 
Still finite though immortal, still in need 
Of changes to diversify their state. 
And punctuate into periods the smooth lapse, 
Else cloying with prolonged beatitude, 
Of that eternal dateless life serene 
Lived by the happy souls in Paradise ; 
Our Father condescends and gives them days 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 375 

And days, with difference of each from each, 
That they may reckon up and date their bliss; 
No night is there, but without night a morn. 
Morning in Paradise is perfect light 
Ineffably more fair become to-day 
Than yesterday, forever, through more fair 
Disclosure, dawn on dawn, eternally 
Made of the glory of the face of Him 
In whom to His beloved God still shines. 

Morn such had risen once more in Paradise, 
When there a group elect together drawn, 
Wearing a brow of expectation each. 
Stood on a flowery hill enringed around 
To be almost an island with a loop 
Of river, the river of life, that lucent flowed 
Mirroring ranks of trees along its banks 
Ruddy or gold in gleams of fruitage seen 
Glimpsing against the rich green of their leaves — 
Here stood a chosen group who waited now 
Tidings a messenger to come should bring. 
These were those all who lately on the earth 
Had suffered death for Jesus' sake through Saul -— 
All saving Stephen ; he, at point of dawn 



l'](i THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XV. 

That morning, had been summoned by his Lord 

To bear from Ilim some embassy of grace. 

The man born blind was there whom Jesus healed 

To double seeing, seeing of the soul, 

As of the body, and whom not the threat 

Of stripes, of stones, and not the blandishment 

Of gentle words from lips with power of death 

Could bribe to live at cost of least unfaith 

Toward his Light-giver and Redeemer Lord — 

He, and a little company besides, 

Women with men, who like him lightly recked 

Of loss but for a moment then and there 

Compared with that far more exceeding weight 

Of glory now, in over-recompense, 

Forever and forever sealed their own. 

This little group, beyond their happy wont 
Beatified with hope that heavenly morn. 
Soon greet one coming whose irradiate brow 
Bespeaks him fresh from audience with the King ; 
Stephen it was, whose earthly-shining face 
Was shadow to the brightness now it wore. 
The martyr to his fellow-martyrs brought 
Glad tidings ; they were all that day to see 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 2)77 

Break forth in power the glory of the Lord. 

"Saul, " Stephen said, ''still breathes his threatening out 

And slaughter aimed against the church of Christ ; 

He journeys to Damascus in this mind. 

But the Lord Christ will meet him in the way 

And overthrow him with resistless light. 

Ours is to tarry on this pleasant hill 

Of prospect, and, hence gazing, all behold. 

Tasting a sweet revenge of Paradise, 

To see our prayers fulfilled, in Saul become 

From persecutor brother well-beloved, 

And builder from destroyer of the church." 

So these there sat them down upon the mount. 
Here, gaze turned ever earthward, they in talk 
Of earthly things that still were dear to them 
Consumed the happy heavenly hours, until, 
To those their native Syrian climes, drew nigh 
Noontide ; then, in a new theophany. 
The transit of a shadow ! — seldom seen 
There where was neither sun, nor moon, nor star, 
But all was equal universal light — 
Came sudden notice to their eyes to watch 
The Messianic dread procession forth, 



37^ THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XY. 

Christ in the majesty of solitude, 
Swifter than meteor's fall, from Paradise. 

He, purposed not to slay, only cast down 
Saul from the top of his presumptuous pride, 
And break him from his disobedient will, 
Would not in His essential glory meet 
His creature, lest he be abolished quite, 
But dimmed Himself with splendor which, more bright 
Than the supreme effulgence of the sun 
At mid-day in a crystal firmament. 
Fixed, but more vivid than the fleeting flash 
Of lightning when its beam burns most intense, 
Was splendor yet of ray less luminous 
Than the accustomed radiance of His face. 
And showed as cloud against that shining sky. 

For, in that unimaginable world 
Of perfect, purged from sin and sin's defect, 
The senses of the blest inhabitants. 
Their organs and their faculties, are all 
Inured to bear with ease, with pleasure bear, 
Continuance and intensity of light 
That mortal frames like ours would quite consume. 
Those there from light need neither change nor rest. 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS, 379 

Their proper substance is illuminate, 
And their bliss is to bathe themselves in light, 
And light, more light, drunk in at every pore 
From the bright omnipresence of the Lord, 
Revealed each day brighter fore verm ore, 
Makes their eternal life eternal joy. 

But on this day select of many days. 
The happy people all of Paradise 
Saw Jesus as a darkness of less light, 
A glancing shadow, pass from out their sphere — 
The most unweeting whither or why He went ; 
But those knew who kept vigil on the mount. 
These had their sense for sight and sound that day 
Exalted to seraphic keen and clear 
Beyond the glorious wont of Paradise ; 
While a circumfluous ether interfused 
For their behoof between where thus they stood 
And where they earthward looked, a subtile air, 
A discontinuous element rare like space, 
Was now such vehicle, so voluble. 
For lightest appulse to both eye and ear 
Supernal, thrice sevenfold refined, as made 
Seem nigh things seen or heard, however far. 



3^0 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XV 

Fixed to behold and hearken thus at ease, 
They saw afar two pilgrim companies, 
Where, near Damascus, these a shady tuft 
Of grove or thicket, in the arid waste 
Of burning sand, at noontide hour had found, 
For rest and coolness ere their goal they gained. 
Those pilgrims just in act, as seemed, to start 
Anew upon the way for their last stage 
Of going, one, well recognized for Saul — 
Remounted not from halt, but some few steps 
Leading his horse with bridle-rein remiss 
Along his destined path — comrade beside, 
Was by this comrade asked, as in discourse 
After suspense renewed : " How was it, then, 
Through what offence, that he deserved his death ? 
Since atheist not, and not idolater, 
Nor yet of those Samaritan heretics, 
Wherein did Stephen fail of loyalty ? " 
" Traitor was he, " said Saul, " to our chief hope, 
He taught that Jesus Nazarene was Christ; 
Nay, that impostor, he, blaspheming, made 
Coequal partner of the eternal throne 
And solitary majesty of God ; 
Worst of idolatry such blasphemy ! 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 381 

Jesus of Nazareth anathema ! " 

Almost, at this, a shudder of horror ran 
Chill through the spiritual pure corporeal frames 
Wherein were housed those blessed essences, 
Hearing from earth such words in Paradise ! 
They then considered at what cost were bought 
Perpetual consciousness of things terrene ! 

Watched they meanwhile that cloud of glory go 
Darkened wherein the Lord of light was hid. 
Incredibly though swift its far descent, 
Yet answerably swift their vision was, 
As swift likewise the motion of their mind ; 
And so they plainly saw how, by degrees, 
What shadow was, in the celestial sphere, 
Became a growing brightness as it went, 
Until, within the bounds of sunshine come, 
That mild beclouded glory, still unchanged, 
Paled with its bright the brilliance of the sun. 
Hardly those watchers dare keep looking, pierced 
With a redeemed fine sympathy for Saul, 
And marvelling, " Such light can he bear and hve ? " 

To Saul himself no interval there seemed ; 



382 THE EPIC OE SAUL. Book XV. 

Instant, with his anathema, down smote 
That awful light on him, and straight to earth 
Prostrate as dead he fell, yet heard a Voice, 
Awful not less, speak twice his name, " Saul, Saul," 
And, " Wherefore dost thou persecute Me ? " ask. 
Then further these deep searching words to him : 
" Hard findst it thou to kick against the pricks!" 
"Who art Thou, Lord ?" came trembling forth from 

Saul, 
Whereby their brother yet alive those knew. 
" Jesus I am, Jesus of Nazareth, 
The crucified, whom thou dost persecute," 
They heard Messiah say, and thrilled with joy 
Of gratitude to feel afresh that He 
Suffered when any suffered for His sake. 
And bled in wounds that made His brethren bleed, 
Joining Himself to them, by fellowship 
Of passion, they in Him and He in them, 
The living members with the living Head 
Mysteriously incorporate in one. 
Thus a sweet thrill of grateful love to Him, 
Their Saviour, trembled in those heavenly breasts, 
While in suspense of balanced hope and fear — 
The fear but such as made the hope more bliss — 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 383 

They waited what their brother next would say. 

But in the prostrate man, at such reply, 
Felt from amidst that imminent light descend, 
" I Jesus am whom thou dost persecute," 
Thought following thought, a fleet succession, flew. 
The boundless blank astonishment was brief 
Which, as with wing world-wide of hurricane, 
Shadowy, his mind bewildering overswept. 
' Such power of splendor his, the Nazarene's ! 
Jesus had launched that thunderbolt of light ! 
The Lord of Glory then the crucified ! ' 
The momentary hurricane was past. 
But passing it had overturned the world. 

Saul vividly saw Stephen as that day 
He shone Shekinah in the temple court 
Eff'ulgent with a milder light like this ; 
• And this was that which Stephen prophesied ! 
How madly had he kicked against the pricks!' 
Next, Stephen martyr stood before his eyes 
Uplifting holy hands to heaven in prayer. 
On poise for that translation to his Lord 
Wherein his, Saul's, the murderer's part had been I 
And Rachel flashed in vision on his mind, 



384 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XV. 

Pathetically beautiful, once more, 

As on that moonlit eve at Bethany ! 

The sisters there, and Lazarus — with Ruth 

Exalted in her mother-majesty ! 

Hirani, then, in his simplicity 

Perplexed before the Sanhedrim, but borne 

In ecstasy above them far away, 

Thence looking down upon them all, a light 

Fair on his forehead like the light of stars ; 

All these things in his past, with many more — 

Instant, at sudden summons of his mind, 

To swear against him his own blasphemy — 

Shot through Saul's spirit, as the lightning leaps, 

Rapid, one leap, from end to end of heaven. 

' This dreadful splendor was not vengeance all, 

It had not slain him, he was thinking still ! 

A grace was in the glory, oh, how fair ! ' 

The features of a Face began to dawn 

Upon him in the darkness of that light ; 

As the sun shineth in his strength, it shone, 

An awful Meekness mild with Majesty ! 

The outward light light to his soul became — 
A light of knowledge of the glory of God 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 385 

To Saul, seen in the face of Jesus Christ ! 
*It would be freedom to serve such a Lord !' 
The passion of rebellion all was gone, 
A passion of obedience in its place ; 
The will that hated had dissolved away, 
And will no more was left, but only love. 
This love which was obedience spoke and asked, 
" Lord Jesus, what wilt thou have me to do ? " 

The Brightness of the Father's Glory said : 
" Rise thou, and stand upon thy feet, for I 
Have to this end appeared to thee, to make 
Thee minister and witness both of what 
This day thou hast beheld and of those things 
Wherein I after will appear to thee. 
Delivering thee from Jewish enemies 
And from the Gentiles unto whom I now 
Send thee, their eyes to unseal and them to turn 
From darkness unto light, and from the power 
Of Satan unto God, that they of sins 
Forgiveness may receive, and heirs become 
Among those sanctified through faith in Me." 

Saul heard, and in his heart of hearts obeyed ; 
And his whole life thenceforth obedience was — 



386 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XV 

Whereof the greater song remains to sing, 
If so be God vouchsafe such grace to me. 

But Jesus to His servant further said, 
" Hence now into Damascus city go ; 
There fully shall be shown thee all thy way." 

A way indeed stain-traced in blood and tears, 
As Saul foresaw to Rachel ; but in tears 
And blood his own thereafter to the end, 
Even to the end of that apostleship. 

Yet glorious end ! Already then afar 
Will kindle the dark earth with many a ray, 
Never to be extinguished, of heaven's light 
Caught from the torch that this world-wandering 

man. 
This flying angel fledged with winged feet 
Tireless, this heart of love unquenchable, 
Has borne abroad, when, now the good fight fought. 
Finished his course, the faith full kept, he, last. 
With aged eagle eyes strained forward, sees 
The crown of righteousness laid up for him 
Which Christ, the Righteous Judge, will give him 

then. 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 38 

Give him in that forever-imminent Day — 
Nor him alone, as his vicarious soul 
Swells to remember, but all them likewise 
Who shall have loved the appearing of the Lord 

The transit of a thought athwart the brain — 
What computation for such speed in flight ! 
What reckoning of the number of the thoughts 
That in an individual instant will 
Chase one another through a human mind 
In never-sundered continuity 
Of change ! The measureless diameters 
Of being that a mortal man may cross 
From one pulse to another of the blood ! 
How, in the twinkling of an eye, become 
The spirit its own polar opposite ! 
Between his Lord's reply, " I Jesus am, " 
And his own further question instant asked, 
" Lord Jesus, what wilt Thou have me to do ?" 
That prostrate proud young Hebrew penitent 
The utmost stretch of longitude traversed 
That can divide two different selves in man — 
He from rebellious to obedient passed, 
Blasphemer was adoring worshipper, 



388 THE EPIC OF SAUL. Book XV. 

The Pharisee was Christian, Saul was Paul. 

At witness of the wondrous change, the joy, 
The grateful joy, within those friendly minds 
Above who saw it, borne to ecstasy 
Of gladness, was triumphal, and broke forth 
In singing such as heard in Paradise : 
** Glory to God, and to our Saviour Lord, 
For one more captive to the heavenly thrall ; 
For one more human soul to heaven reclaimed 
From hell, and star set in Christ's diadem ! 
For one more witness, an apostle new, 
Like angel flying through mid-heaven, to fly 
And wing the Gospel wide throughout the world ! 
Thanks to thee, Christ, for that his name is Saul ! '* 

Heard was this quiring song afar, and heaven 
Her other joy suspended at the sound : 
And every echoing hill of Paradise, 
Each grove, each grotto, every fountain-side, 
With every bank of river, every glen, 
And every bowery, flowery wide champaign 
Where angels bask in bliss, took up the strain 
And rang it swelling to the highest heaven ; 



Book XV. SAUL AND JESUS. 389 

While harpers harped it to their harps, and palms 
Were rhythmic waved in music to the eye, 
And the trees clapped their hands, and God was 
pleased. 

So they in Paradise, who saw and heard 
Truly ; Saul's fellow-pilgrims nigh at hand 
Vacantly wondered, who, though they the light 
Beheld, and heard the voice speak, missed the sense. 
Sergius, recovered from his first surprise 
And terror, mused within himself, and found, 
Remembering words from Saul against the gods. 
Easy solution of the mystery ; 
' Pan roared at him from out the copse-wood nigh, 
With wholesome punishment of fear infused 
Avenging his despised divinity ; 
While lord Apollo twanged his silver bow 
And shot at him a shaft of blinding light ; 
The gods of right are wroth to be reviled ! * 

Saul from the ground arose a sightless man ; 
The glory that not slew had blinded him. 
His steed he would not mount again to ride, 
But chose, humbly, and guided by the hand, 



390 THE EPIC OF SA UL. Book XV. 

Footing to go among his followers. 

Who, that blithe morning, as the morning blithe. 

Forth for Damascus from Jerusalem 

Rode breathing threat and slaughter quenchless sworn 

Against the church of Jesus Nazarene, 

Entered the city walking, led and blind. 

Bondslave thenceforth to the One Worthy Name, 



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